The pair had managed to get some sleep that day, cuddled close to each other. They just wanted time to be together, showing their love through small touches and sharing warmth. Soft kisses and tight holds as they drifted between slumber and mild alert.
That evening, Akari stared at her wardrobe. For some reason, she had nothing to wear but a full wardrobe of clothes. She sighed to herself before Rido stepped behind her.
"What's wrong?" He asked her as he pulled her into a hug, pressing her back into his front.
"I don't know what to wear." She admitted and looked up at him.
"Can I pick you something out?" He asked looking through her wardrobe. She nodded and sat down on her bed, watching him.
Rido took a closer look at her wardrobe before pulling out a floor length, off the shoulder, lilac, crushed velvet dress. As the light hit the dress, the sliver that he expected to see reflected back was instead a golden shine. He smiled as he gave the dress a longer look. He turned and handed the dress.
"It's a little formal and flashy for every day." Akari told him as she looked at the dress.
"So? What does it matter?" Rido asked with a shrug. "Wear anything you want, whenever you want." He told her. Akari smiled and took the dress.
Akari looked out of her bedroom window once she was dressed and saw a black car driving towards her home. The only person who would dare visit her unannounced was Kaname. She always made sure everyone was aware of that. Even Rido would call ahead unless he had no choice but to show up. She hated uninvited guests.
"Rido, you might want to get going." Akari said as she turned to Rido who was lounging on her bed.
"Kaname?" He asked as he stood up, dressing himself. Akari looked out of the window again, hoping to make something more out.
"I think so." She answered. Rido gave her a quick kiss as he brushed her hair over her left shoulder, revealing the bite mark he had left on her skin. He wanted Kaname to see it, he wanted to annoy Kaname as much as he could. Rido then quickly made his way out, Akari followed him onto the landing, watching him leave through the servant quarters.
Within minutes, a knock at the front door echoed through the house. Akari took a deep breath. She took her time walking to her front door, earning another louder knock. Once she opened the front door, Kaname pushed his way in.
Kaname gave her a long look, up and down. He took in her image, checking her for any injury. He spotted the bite mark on her neck. Before she could react, he grabbed her, holding her tight to get a closer look at her neck. Akari hissed in pain as he held her.
"Who did this?" He hissed at her, he knew the answer but he wanted to hear from her. Anger again filled him. She refused to answer him, instead she pushed him away. "Where are your parents?" He then quizzed her; he was concerned that her parents may feel it was appropriate to feed off their daughter. If it was Rido, then he hoped that he could reason with them. That was if they were alive and working with Rido. But he highly suspected that they were died or still travelling and this was all Rido's doing.
"Gone." Akari told him simply. Kaname frowned. He finally acknowledged what Akari was wearing. It wasn't something he would expect her to wear every day. But it also reminded him of the red velvet dress she was wearing when they first met. He quickly pushed his thoughts back in order to think clearly.
"When did they leave?" He asked, he hoped he may be able to catch up with them. Akari sighed, she may as well tell him the truth. Rido was on his way to kill Yuki and then they could destroy Kaname. There was no point in hiding it anymore.
"They never came back." She told him. "Well, not as flesh and bone." She continued. Kaname looked confused for a moment until he realised what she meant.
"Rido killed them?" He asked cautiously.
"Yes, he brought the ashes back and put them in the mausoleum." She told him.
"It doesn't upset you?" He asked. He was curious about her lack of emotion. It was strange, compared to her strong emotions of fear, worry and anger when she thought they were alive.
"No, I'm free from them now." She answered truthfully. "I can do as I please now."
"But you're not free with Rido tricking you. He's playing a game with us." Kaname counted. Akari frowned.
"Kaname, I am happy here and I will be staying here." She told him firmly, Kaname was taken aback by her attitude.
"What has Rido done? What has he promised you?" He questioned her, reaching out for her hand. Akari quickly moved back.
"He's done nothing Kaname." She hissed at him. "All he has promised me is freedom and choice." She added, anger spilling out over her face. "He has always treated me like a princess. He hasn't forced me into a relationship, like you." She hissed at him, getting in his face. Kaname stared at her in shock. She had never been like this with him before. He never thought she could ever be like this, let alone towards him.
"I'm only doing what is best for you." Kaname spoke softly, gently taking her hand in his. "Rido will lie to you. He's no good." He continued; a sharp sting hit him in the cheek. It took him a moment to that she had slapped him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him. He leaned down slightly, glaring at her. "Stop acting like a spoiled brat." He hissed at her; he saw fear flash in her eyes before turning back to anger.
"I am not acting like a spoiled brat. You are!" She counted, trying to pull herself free from him. "You think that you can get whatever you want! Well, you can't have me!" She carried on, getting louder. Kaname growled at her, warning her. She ignored him; she wasn't going to be bullied anymore. "What? Don't like it when someone stands up to you?" She hissed at him.
"Shut up." Kaname growled, his grip on her tightened, causing her to flinch. "I am only doing what is best for you, and you will listen to me." He added, giving her arm a squeeze. She hissed in pain and nodded. "Good. Now, I will tell you what is best for you." He pulled her closer to him, making sure that they were touching. "You will leave with me; you will stay at the academy with me. Once our time is done there, we will marry. You will become my Queen consort. After a year we will have a child together. We will have at least two children." He told her his plan, the plan he had made to have a happy family life. It was what he had wanted since they met. "Is that understood?" He growled at her.
"Go fuck yourself." She hissed and pushed him away with all of her might. Kaname grunted and stepped back, his grip loosened enough for her to escape. Kaname had never expected her to resist him in such a way. "I suggest you leave and never come back." She told him once she had straightened herself out. "I never want to see you again."
Kaname just stared at her in shock. He wanted to cut his losses now she was resisting him in such a way. But at the same time, the light glow that had been showing had finally sparked and exploded into a raging fire, made him want her more. He saw the wild side of her, he wanted more of it but with less ferocity aimed at him. She always surprised him and made him work for her attention, it just seemed to make him want to chase her until she was his. But now, it was going to be incredibly difficult to convince her to leave with him in any way. This meant his only option may possibly be to kill Rido and then hopefully she would surrender to him. He would be the one to tame her.
"Where's Rido?" Kaname suddenly asked, taking Akari by surprise.
"Why?" She asked, curious about Kaname's sudden change. It appeared she could no longer fully distract him.
"I find it strange that Rido would leave you alone with me willingly. Even if he wasn't worried about you leaving with me, he would stay to gloat." He pointed out, eyeing her criticality. He wanted to know why Rido wouldn't want to face him. He doubted that Rido was afraid of him, he was fearless, the only redeemable feature of the man, to Kaname anyway. So why would a man with no fear chose to hide. "Is he still in the house?" He then asked and watched how Akari squirmed under his gaze. "Is he here?!" He demanded.
"No." She gave in. "He left when you arrived." She admitted.
"Why?" He questioned her. He wanted answers, Rido would never miss an opportunity to gloat unless he had an opportunity to something worse.
"I don't know." She lied and Kaname glared at her.
"You do know!" He shouted as he grabbed her again, this time only just gripping her long hair. She flinched away from him but didn't move fast enough. "Tell me!" He shouted at her as he pulled her by her hair, making her face him.
"No!" She shouted back, looking him straight in the eye. She won't dare put Rido in any more danger than he would already be. She clawed at his hand as she tried to free her hair.
"Why? What could possibly be enough to send me running after him? I just want to know where he is." Kaname reasoned, trying to sound calm and charming. Akari still refused to believe him. "Akari, this is important." He stressed to her. "What if he's hurting innocents?" He tried to reason with her, he still believed that she was on his side when it came to humans.
"So, what if he is?" She countered.
"I thought you felt the same, that you agreed with cause?" He asked, he even looked a little disheartened.
"I have always had the same attitude as Rido. They are our prey, nothing more. Weak and stupid, they're the most clueless animal in this world." She told him with a smirk, pulling herself free from him. "Even the animals they deem below them, run from us."
"Then why…?"
"Why leave with you?" She asked and he nodded. "You were giving no option; you had a reason for every excuse. You were practically dragging me there." She explained, may be this is what needed to be said so that he would lose interest in her.
"Well, I'll be changing all of that in time." He told her, his voice full of malice. "Soon, humans will be valued and I will make it crime to bite a human without consent."
"Only because Yuki is one. That's the only reason why you care." She snarled at him. Kaname held her by her neck, against the wall.
"Keep Yuki out of this." He growled at her. "Once I get rid of Rido, you are mine!" He screamed at her, squeezing her throat. She gasped for air and clawed at his hand.
Before he could cause any more damage to her, he dropped her on the floor. "Where's Rido?" He asked as she tried to catch her breath. She shook her head. "Tell me!" He grabbed her by her hair again. "Tell me Akari, it will only make things worse for you." He warned her, whispering in her ear. She shivered at the sound of his voice, it sounded more dangerous than she could have ever thought. "Well?"
"I don't care what you do to me, I will never tell you anything." She told him through gritted teeth.
"Then I guess you'll be coming with me. At least I know Rido will come running for you." Kaname started pulling her by her hair.
Before he could reach the front door, what looked like thick tree branches ripped through the ground and twisted around the door. People he had never noticed before, appeared. He had always seen a few staff wondering around but he never thought she had so many. It was like they had just come out of the walls. He quickly let her go, he wasn't sure if he could leave with her fighting him and also have them fighting him. If it was one or the other, it would be easy enough. "You win, for now." He told her, stepping away from her. Akari allowed the branches to move enough for Kaname to leave.