~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~13~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We didn't have family dinners every night. Just two or three times a week before classes. In fact, I never knew exactly when we would have them up until the second Reiji knocked at my door, demanding I come down to the dining room. So it surprised me when Laito hatched his plan. Somehow he already knew that that night everyone would be forced to eat dinner together.
Just act normal and leave it to me, he had told me. I scraped my spoon across my plate, pushing kernels of corn out of its way. Nobody said a word. Laito hadn't winked or nudged or given me any sign that the plan was still a-go. I wondered if this was just another fun game to him.
Screech. Shu's chair pulled back from the table as if on cue. Shu was always the first to leave. And his plate was never touched. But tonight, Laito spoke up before Shu could walk away. For the first time ever, I was relieved to hear Laito's voice. "I'd like to discuss, as a familyyy," he enunciated, "some concerns about a certain house pet."
Ayato scoffed, "Family. That's a new one."
Shu sat back down without a word. He propped his head up on the table with his hand and closed his eyes. "Tell me when it's over," he sighed.
"This is hardly the time for such a discussion, Laito. We will continue this talk after dinner." Reiji answered sternly, his eyes not even glancing up from his plate.
Silence coated the room once again. I could hear my heartbeat. And knowing that they could hear how fast my pulse had become made me all that more panicked. I had only taken one or two bites out of the roasted chicken and veggies on my plate. And I knew I would not be able to stomach any more. Laito and Ayato scooped what was left of their meal into their mouths without a care in the world. Shu hadn't moved from his relaxed position. In all likelihood, he had probably fallen asleep before Reiji had even responded.
"Yui," Reiji called, "Gather these dishes and bring them to the kitchen."
I nodded and stood up, picking my plate up first. It wasn't an uncommon request. I circled the table, gathering each plate. They stacked unevenly, but I managed to balance them long enough to make it back to the kitchen. I dumped them all in the sink and leaned against the counter. I ran my fingers through my hair, letting out a deep sigh. I didn't want to return back to the dining room. I didn't want to hear them quarrel about who should be allowed to make my life hell. In all honesty, I wanted to tell them that I would never, and could never belong to any of them.
"No way in hell!" I heard Ayato shout through the walls. I groaned and made my way back to the dining room. Upon entering, I saw Ayato standing, his hands grasping the table. His face was red in anger.
Shu's head had fallen down onto the table, his arms wrapped around it. "So damn noisy," he complained into the table. I wondered just for a second if Shu was putting on an act or if he truly didn't care how things turned out. In the courtyard, it was clear that he was reacting to seeing me with Ayato. And even before then, he always made it a habit of pointing out all the bites and marks that hadn't been left by him.
"Kitten!" Laito wailed. He stood up suddenly, grabbed my arm and sat down with me in his lap. "Save me from this big bad beast!" His arms curled around me and he comically rubbed his face into the back of my shoulder.
"Let go of 'er!" Ayato smacked the table with his hand. For once, I agreed with Ayato. It was obvious Laito was taking this whole situation too lightly. Like it was just one big joke for him to partake in.
"Kitten feels safest with me, Ayato," Laito jeered. He blew a puff of air into my ear.
"Hmn!" I yelped.
"We get along soooo well. Kitten even told me, if you and Shu don't ease up, she's going to choose me as her lover," he continued.
My face flushed red. "I did not!" I grabbed at his arms, trying to loosen his grip on my waist.
Reiji removed his glasses and wiped the lenses with a napkin. "Of all the absurd things to say. Really, Laito. Yui is in no position to decide such matters."
My head pulsed. I had no right to decide such matters? It was my body and my blood and my heart! I wasn't some kid's toy. I wasn't a meal. I had feelings and opinions of my own of how I should be treated.
"Damn right. 'Cuz I already claimed her as mine!" Ayato pointed at his chest. "Yours Truly saw 'er first!"
"I'm not anyone's!" I yelled.
Laito chuckled, "Shush, shush, kitten. Just stay put and let the adults talk." He placed a finger at my lips. "Just leave it to me," he whispered.
"If you don't let go of 'er, I'm gonna tear you apart," Ayato threatened. "We can end this tonight, Laito. Just come at me."
"There will be none of that," Reiji warned.
"My motto is make love, not war, Ayato," Laito teased. He kissed my neck softly. "Besides, it's exactly this type of behavior that's got our kitten so scared." He gave a small lick to my skin. I squirmed in his lap, trying to break free. "Look, she's absolutely shaking!"
I sighed, "It doesn't matter." This was pointless. At this rate, nothing would change. "One day, one of you will kill me. Either on accident or on purpose. It just doesn't matter." I felt delirious. I couldn't listen to them fight over who had permission to torture me. "Laito's right," I looked at Ayato. "If things don't change, I'm his. Only his." I hated the words that came out of my mouth. And I hoped Laito, like me, had only said it as a way to resolve the issue.
"How conceited of you, Yui. To think we would allow a mere human to tell us when, where and upon whom we may feed." Reiji answered. "Your vanity astonishes me." He placed his glasses back onto his face. "Laito, if my opinion on this is of any consequence, I have no need for labelling food as long as I can feed on it. And as long as it is still of use to me."
"Hmmm, so then the only two that won't play nice are, surprise, surprise, Shu and Ayato," Laito responded. He gripped my chin and pointed my head towards Ayato. "An idea! What if Ayato gets the top half," he moved my face to Shu, whose head was still against the table, "And Shu gets the bottom half?"
"Hell no." Ayato grinned, "Let's hunt." His eyes gleamed in excitement. "We can let pancake have a head start. Whoever catches 'er first, wins."
I shook my head, releasing it from Laito's grip. "Better idea, you can let me go free and then just continue letting me go! Just leave me alone forever."
"Give up," Shu groaned, lifting his head. "Where would you even go?"
"Yeah, that idea sucks, pancake. Ya' belong here with us. You'd miss givin' me your blood."
"Even if my kitten did run away," Laito pulled me against his chest, "I'd miss her too too much. I'd have to steal you back." He gave a quick kiss to my cheek.
"If you were to run back to the church, they would simply return you to us," Reiji added. "It was their wish that you move here, afterall."
A lump formed in my throat. I knew that, of course. But to hear it said to me out loud hurt so badly. "I…" I began, not knowing what to say. "I won't give up." I clenched my fists, "I won't! Even if it takes years. Even without the church. I know my father would protect me, at least. I know he would. If he just knew what sort of place this was. My father is a good man. He would have never led me to this place if he knew."
Ayato laughed, "So where the hell is he, pancake?"
"Your habit of blindly trusting those around you is quite pitiful, Yui." Reiji crossed his arms. "Did it ever cross your mind that your father knows exactly who he left you to?"
"Of course n-"
"Kitten, we still have a problem on our hands," Laito interrupted. "These two brats need to finally learn how to share."
"Yours Truly doesn't negotiate," Ayato huffed.
"Just kill her," Shu mumbled. "Or kill me. Whatever ends this conversation."
Reiji cleared his throat. "Father intended Yui to serve all of us." Ayato, Shu and Laito looked at him in silence. Their father. A mysterious shadow playing chess with us all. "That much is clear. Going against his wishes, as we all know, will end in disaster for us all."
Shu stood, kicking his chair back behind him. "This is boring," he sighed. He left with a quick slam of the door.
Ayato, finally, sat back down. "I'm gettin' a lil' sick of blindly followin' that guy." He tore at a napkin that still sat on the table.
"However you may feel, those are the facts," Reiji responded.
"Well, Ayato?" Laito looked over to him. "No more fighting over poor lil kitten?" He squeezed my cheeks together.
"Laito!" I shouted.
Ayato fidgeted with the napkin some more before standing up again. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Pancake already knows who she belongs to." He made his exit.
"There you have it, kitty." Laito turned my head to face him, still squishing my cheeks. "Don't worry, I'll think of a way for you to repay me later." He let go of me, allowing me to stand up from his lap and he followed behind Ayato.
"Yui," Reiji and I sat alone now. I massaged my reddened cheeks. "We will leave in just a few minutes. Please make haste and change into your uniform."
"Of course," I could only comply. My mind felt overloaded. Had anything actually been resolved? It seemed like everyone was just as angry and I was just as unsafe.
"Afterwards, if you are so willing, would you meet me in the drawing room? I'd like to share something with you." He had phrased it as a question, but I of course knew any request from Reiji was an order.
"Of course," I mindlessly answered again.
As my last class was about to end, I was asked by the teacher to return some supplies to the storage room. I struggled to balance the stacks of paper and boxes of chalk down the hallway. Two rights and the door will be on your left, she had told me. All day I had been able to focus solely on my lessons. Not about Ayato and Shu and not about my anger with Laito after seeing him take advantage of the situation to tease us all.
Two rights. And on the left, no door. I stared bewildered at an empty wall. Had it been two lefts and the door on the right? I made my way back. And I had no chance to think about Reiji. Did I truly trust too easily? But that was how I was raised. I could see his point. If I had just run out of the house after my first meeting with Ayato, maybe things would be wildly different.
Two rights. Wait. I paused. I should have turned left to go back. I groaned and turned around, making my way back to the intersection of hallways. And what exactly did Reiji have to show me?
A box of chalk shifted slightly and tipped onto the ground, spilling itself across the tiles. "Ack!" I saved myself from tripping and dropping everything.
"Tsk, loud." Shu's voice carried around the corner. I peeked my head around and saw him sitting on the tiles, legs straight out blocking the hallway and with his back against the wall.
"Did you sleep through your classes?" I asked him.
"Hm," was his only reply.
I set the stack of supplies down and started picking up stray chalk. "You know, sometimes you and Ayato are weirdly alike." I crammed the chalk back into their box. "Shu, do you know where the supply room is?" I placed the escaped box back on top of the stack and walked towards him. He was still and his eyes were closed. Had he fallen asleep in the middle of a conversation? Somehow it seemed likely.
I sat down next to him. "Shu?" He brushed his finger against my leg, letting me know he was awake. "Did you hear me? Will you tell me where it is?"
"No," he answered flatly.
"But, I have to retur-"
"Just stay," he continued. "Here. And," he paused, "with us." He lifted his hand and placed it on my thigh.
My heartbeat quickened. He didn't move his head to look at me and he didn't open his eyes. "Why?" I asked, not sure if I wanted it answered.
"You belong here," Shu said plainly. "Our father. He won't have it any other way."
I felt a little foolish. I had thought Shu was going to confess that he, at least a little, just a bit cared about me. It's not something I needed to hear. It wouldn't make a difference. "Laito mentioned that, growing up, you were close to your father. Is he really such a bad g-"
"Idiot," Shu interrupted. "Don't trust Laito." His grip on my thigh tightened. "Our father. He's evil incarnate. Nobody could be close to him. Everyone is just a pawn." I could feel Shu's fingers tremble against my skin, although his face showed no emotion. "Laito has no idea."
I wanted to know so much more about their father. But something inside of me told me to restrain. Some unknown dread hiding in my gut that I was forced to listen to. "What is his name?" was all I could ask.
"Karlheinz."
My eyes widened. "Karlheinz?" I knew that name. Karlheinz. One of the few benefactors of the church. Karlheinz. The name of a man shrouded in mystery. A man who paid very few visits to the church he so generously showered in donations. The few times he did visit, there was always such commotion. Of course. "I met him. Shu. I met him," my hand shakily lifted to my mouth.
"I know," Shu answered. He was miles away.
One day, when I was about fifteen, I met him. "He was.. in my house." My father had greeted him with a hug. And he introduced me as his daughter, but Karlheinz had already… "He knew my name. He called me Yui." I flinched, remembering how strange it had sounded coming from his mouth. Like I had heard it before in a dream.
"Yui," Shu said, somewhere.
And I remembered him softly grasping my shoulders. And I remembered him calling me a beauty. "A beauty," I laughed. "So that was him." I couldn't stop laughing. "He's known me for so long, huh?" Was I laughing or crying? "So my father knew him, too. Of course. Right."
Shu lifted his hand from my thigh and turned it palm up. "Yui. Your hand."
"Shu, I…" I wiped my tears away and placed my other hand in his.
He kissed the back of my hand. "This is what he does." He slowly kissed each finger. "Breathe." I took a deep breath. He flipped my hand over and kissed my palm. "Breathe." I, again, listened. I felt him lick the side of my wrist. "Just stay," he whispered, "with me." I took another deep breath as Shu's fangs cut into my wrist. A new set of tears escaped my eyes. It only felt like a pinch. My wrist felt almost no pain, but my chest heaved in agony. Like a cloud of poison had seeped into my heart.
Shu licked the blood trailing down my wrist. "Breathe," he repeated.
I tried. But my mouth wouldn't open. My tongue pressed against the back of my teeth. Karlheinz. My father. His plan. Their plan. He knew. My father knew.
"He knew," I whispered.
"Yui." Shu's hand cupped my cheek.
I had nothing. "Nothing."
"Fuck. Yui."
The hallway's lights burnt out. My head hit something hard. I forgot to return the supplies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~14~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Nothing." A deep, hoarse voice echoed behind my head. I didn't look. I couldn't. There were only shadows around me. But I placed my fingers at the piano keys in front of me that shone white against the darkness as if they were glowing. Pressing down, there was no music. Each key played a voice of a conversation I did not want to hear. "A demon," it played. "She must be a demon, sent to ruin him." My hands wouldn't stop. "Karlheinz. Evil incarnate." My fingers glided effortlessly across the keys. "A beauty." Two hands covered my own, guiding them to specific notes. "You are already home."
"You are home, Yui," the church choir in front of me sang. Their voices were one. It pierced through my eardrums like a needle. I looked down. Blood seeped through the cracks of the piano's keys. "Home, Yui. Welcome home." I looked up. One man stood where the choir had been. The piano bench ceased to exist. I fell. I braced for impact. But there were only shadows around me.
I continued falling. Now passing windows. Glimpses of my father passed me by. He read a bible. And there was a little girl. So young. So kind. "Yui," my father told her, "The world can be a beautiful place. But the world can also destroy you."
The young girl looked out of the window. She looked at the shadow of a broken woman. Her hand pressed against the clear glass. "I'm the only one who can decide my destiny," she told me.
A man stood behind her. "Have you decided, Yui?" he asked.
I woke up in a cold sweat. I was on a couch in the drawing room. I must have fainted. Shu must have taken me home. I felt a small bump on my head where it had hit the tiles. But I was alone now. I covered my face in my hands, faintly remembering a terrible dream.
"This is not a bedroom, Yui," Reiji sighed. He was just walking in.
I wondered if it was a coincidence that Shu had brought me to the exact room that Reiji wanted to meet in. "Ah, yeah, sorry," I mumbled. I was sure to look at Reiji as I apologized. And I was sure to keep it short and sweet. I may only speak when having something meaningful to say.
"While I did intend to meet you here, upon further consideration, I believe this room is much too public for such matters. We will have to relocate." Reiji looked down at me, his face emotionless. "Please stand and make yourself decent."
I lifted myself up, immediately realizing that my skirt was hitched up around my waist. I quickly stood and flattened it. "Where would you like to go, instead?"
"It is of no consequence to you, whichever room I choose." Reiji began walking back to the entrance. "Yui, do hurry up."
We walked down vaguely familiar hallways and it wasn't until I saw the door ahead of us that I realized we were passing Reiji's study. I stopped walking. Reiji paid no mind. I wondered if I could run. One step back. He continued on ahead. I took a deep breath. He walked past the door.
Where were we going, then? I caught up behind him. He opened a door just a few feet down from his study. "Yui," Reiji beckoned, his hand presenting the door. I walked inside, hardly able to see my feet in front of me as soon as I passed the frame. "Have a seat."
I squinted my eyes. A bed, a desk, a wardrobe. I sat at the desk that was pushed up against the wall next to his bed. In front of me was an opened envelope, spotlighted by a desk lamp. Next to the lamp sat a simple plastic pencil case stuffed with worn out pencils, a pair of metal scissors and loose erasers. And next to that, a white bottle of pills.
"I would like you to read that letter. It was sent to me by your father, Yui," Reiji stated coolly. He stood just a few feet away.
My father? My eyes widened. I grabbed the letter. I flipped it over, but the front was blank. "It's from… You hid it from me?"
"Do not be so presumptuous," Reiji lectured. "It was not hidden. I received it only a few days after your arrival. If you would be so kind to read it, you will see clearly that it is in attention to me. I was and still am under no obligation to share it with you." He crossed his arms. "But after tonight's theatrics, I believe your reading it will prove beneficial to us all. You may open it."
I pulled the singular piece of paper out of the envelope. I felt tears coming, but I fought them back, not wanting them to hinder my sight. Stay calm, stay calm.
"Reiji Sakamaki," I read aloud. Reiji hadn't lied. "I am composing this letter with the belief that my daughter, Yui, has arrived safely into your care. My one wish is for her safety. I know not what Karlheinz," again, that name, "intends, but I only hope and pray that I have made the correct decision in this matter. Reiji, please look after my darling girl." Had my father ever met Reiji? "I worry over her pure heart. Your father recommended I be open to her about these circumstances. But, as I'm sure you'll find after meeting my Yui, I went against his wishes. I was weak. For years, I avoided it. For so long, in fact, that your father was forced to pay me an unexpected visit…" I paused. Was that visit when I first met Karlheinz? "Just three years ago," I continued, my voice trembling. "I am now aware." I stopped. My vision became too blurred to read any more.
I looked up at Reiji. "Why would you play such a cruel joke?" I folded the letter back up. "This can't be from him. That's," tears pattered onto the paper, "impossible. It's not him."
"How naive." Reiji took the letter from my hands. "If you refuse to read it, I will read it to you."
"Don't!" I yelled.
He unfolded the letter. "I am now aware that I will never see my dear girl again," he continued. "He stressed that point vividly. And knowing this, I would like to ask a second favor of you. Please, Reiji, I beg of you."
"Give it back!" I stood up.
"Never let Yui return here. Never let her learn my truth."
"Reiji!" I gripped the chair. I had to fight to even breathe.
"I'd rather she despise me than to learn of my cowardice reasoning for releasing her into the care of demons." Reiji paused. "May God have mercy on my soul," he finished and then chuckled softly. "Foolish man. As if God has any say."
"Stop!" Before I knew it, I was in front of Reiji. My hand stung. His cheek slowly inflamed red. "Reiji, I-"
Reiji smiled down at me, still chuckling. His hand touched his cheek. "Insolent child."
I stepped back. "I'm- I'm sorry." My eyes were frozen on his. The back of my legs met the side of his bed. "Reiji," I couldn't stop my trembling. Why had I done something so stupid? Of course, he deserved it. But I was alone and he stood between myself and the only exit. "Please, I'm sorry." I knew my words would mean nothing to him.
Reiji advanced towards me. He placed the letter back onto the desk and reached across it, picking up the bottle of pills. "Yui," he started. My hands clenched. "Would you be so kind as to open your mouth?" He opened the bottle and tipped a small red pill into his palm.
"I…" I couldn't. I could only imagine what sort of pill that was. "I'm sorry!" I said quickly, kicking the chair away from me and using the newly empty space to run past him, towards the door. My fingers met the handle. I turned and pulled it towards me. A deep relief fell over me. And then just as quickly, it was replaced with an unsettling dread. The door slammed closed. "Wait!"
Reiji grabbed me from behind. His one arm wrapped around my waist and arms. His other easily pried my mouth open and shoved the small pill onto the back of my tongue. "Swallow, Yui." I shook my head as Reiji covered my mouth, his other hand lifting to pinch my nose, depriving me of any air. I hit behind me, trying to at least distract him enough for an opening to escape. I was so close.
He tilted my head back. "Whether you swallow or pass out from lack of oxygen, the medicine will take effect. Surely you can feel it dissolving. But, I believe some sorts of gratitude is in order," he whispered in my ear as my vision of the door multiplied. "If it weren't for you, Yui, I would have never had enough research to perfect this experiment. Thanks to you," my arms dropped to my sides, "I was able to completely subside the numbness." My legs gave out, but Reiji let go of my nose and stopped me from falling. "Remarkable," Reiji sighed. "I've truly outdone myself."
I felt him lift me into his arms. The pill had completely dissolved in my mouth. My tongue felt wet against the inside of my lips, but it couldn't form the words that I wanted to yell. I felt tears trail down my cheeks, fall onto my neck and settle into the crook of my collar.
Reiji, after dragging it back towards the desk and his bed, sat down on the chair. "Your behavior tonight has been astonishingly childish, Yui." I could see the letter still open on the desk. Reiji maneuvered me to lay on my stomach across his lap. My head and arms hung down between the chair and the side of his bed. "If you insist on acting like a child, I shall discipline you as one." My skirt was moved up, bunching at my waist. Reiji's one hand held it there, while also balancing me in his lap. He pulled my underwear down my legs and left them at my ankles.
My mind raced. He couldn't mean to…
His hand brushed against my naked bottom, giving a quick squeeze. "You must learn how to control your outbursts," he continued. "Do not worry, Yui." His hand lifted, "I will train you."
Whap. My skin stung. The pain sent static up my spine.
Whap. He hit the same spot, then groped my skin harshly, sending needles across the area.
Please stop. I couldn't speak the words. I couldn't make a noise.
"As I stated before," Whap. I wished I could at least close my eyes. "Your habit of trusting others," Whap. Please. "Is a hindrance to all around you, Yui." Reiji lifted me back up by my throat, forcing me to sit on his lap. My underwear slipped off of my ankles, falling to the floor. My bottom stung, pressing against his pants. His face met mine. "Think of your poor father." His grasp on my neck tightened. "If you had only run from this place like a sensible girl," he pulled me closer, his face was just an inch from my own, "You could have possibly saved him."
My fingers twitched. I shoved Reiji away and fell to the floor. Slowly, the medicine was wearing off. I inched away from him, my back hitting the leg of the desk. "I see. So it does require some more tweaking." Reiji didn't move from his chair. "Yui, you will sit still or-"
I didn't give him a chance to finish. I shot up and ran to the door, not hesitating. I grabbed the door handle, pulled it open and dashed out of the room. Do not process. Do not think. Just run. Just escape.
My body hit the wall. In front of my face, there was metal. My eyes adjusted to see scissors opened, one blade against my cheek. "That was quite rude of you." Reiji pinned one of my shoulders against the wall across from his door. "I would very much like to see what face you make when I slice your skin, Yui." I froze in terror. His hand lifted from my shoulder and cupped my cheek while he pressed the metal into my other cheek. "You were so brave just a second ago. Do you not wish to escape any longer? Are you so weak that a mere crafting tool stops you from seeking freedom?"
I couldn't move again. This time, it had nothing to do with his experiment. Reiji pressed the blade into my skin and pulled it down slowly, leaving a thin line of blood. "Clearly you are in need of more training." He released the pressure against my cheek and brushed the metal down my skin to my throat. "What agony-filled expression will you muster if I were to pierce you here? Shall we compare the feeling of metal to fangs? Which will hurt more, Yui?"
I clenched my eyes. The metal was cold against my throat.
Swish.
My eyes opened. I saw something fall to my side. "Did you keep your hair long per your father's wishes? No matter. It's of little consequence to a dead man." Reiji's tongue glided across my cheek, licking up my blood.
A dead man?
He lifted me, again, and brought me back into his room. I saw a small pile of golden locks that had fallen to the hallway floor. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I couldn't fight. Even as Reiji closed the door and tossed me onto his bed. Even as he replaced the scissors to his desk and carefully folded the letter, returning it to its envelope. I couldn't fight.
I could have run. But my body wouldn't listen. Reiji met me on his bed. He lifted my shirt over my head. "Remove your bra," he ordered. My mind was a million miles away. All I could do was comply. I reached behind me, unfastening the hook.
As I did, Reiji removed his own clothes. "It's clear that conventional methods will not work to fix your deviant behavior, Yui." He tossed them aside, but carefully removed his glasses, folded them and placed them on the desk. He pulled me to him. I faced him, my legs straddling his.
I felt a heat between us. His hands caressed my breasts and wrapped around me, stroking my back. "Reiji, please don't," I could only just muster the words. I pushed so many thoughts to the back of my head. If I said the wrong thing, I would overflow.
"Hmmm, that's quite pleasant. Ask me again." Reiji pressed my body against his. His hands grasped my bottom, sending an ache across my sensitive skin.
"P- please," I heaved, "Please don't." I could feel him throbbing with each syllable.
"I will let you decide, Yui." Reiji's mouth was at my ear. "You may either beg me to take your blood or your body." My body tensed. "If you do not choose, I will take both. And I will not be kind."
It was easy. He had already taken my blood before. "My blood," I said quickly. He didn't respond. Right, he had said beg. I leaned back and it took everything in my power to look into his eyes. "Please, Reiji. I beg you, please take my blood. I… I want you to. Please."
His hands cupped my breasts. "Yui, where would you like me to bite you?" He traced patterns with his nails onto my skin.
"My- my neck, please." I lifted my hand to my neck. I felt the ends of my cut hair. "Please, just… please be gentle, Reiji."
"Lay on your back and I will consider it." I did so. I saw Reiji loom over me, but he did not move to my neck. "I'd like you to spread your legs, Yui." I started to move back up, but his hand pushed my shoulder down onto the bed. "Would you still like me to be gentle?"
"Yes, but-"
"When asking favors, one cannot be so defiant." Reiji's hands brushed my thighs. I spread my legs. Now that I could move, I wondered if I could attempt a third escape.
Reiji hovered over me, his tongue slid across my shoulder to my neck. "Is this where you'd like it, Yui?" I hated every time he said my name. I nodded. "Delightful."
My pleas for him to be gentle were ignored. Reiji quite literally bit into my neck. I felt not just his fangs, but his teeth against my skin. The shock traveled down to my fingertips. Everything went black and it took a second to realize that my eyes were closed. His teeth tore at my skin. And in the midst of such pain, I felt him lift my leg. And I felt him push against me.
"No," I whispered. I could hardly hear myself over my racing heart.
Reiji unclenched his jaw as he forced himself into me. "Open your eyes, Yui," he demanded. His hand pulled my hair. His other gripped my thigh, pulling my leg up against my stomach. I looked into his eyes. He was smiling down at me as he drew his hips back, then pushed into me again.
"Hmn, Are you weeping, Yui? How, hah, distasteful." Reiji laughed. He licked a tear from my cheek. Every movement he made inside of me felt ragged. He tore my insides just as he had torn my neck. My voice felt hoarse, and I realized it was because I was sobbing. Reiji only continued laughing and thrusting against me. He slid his hand from my hair over to my neck and then cupped my cheek, staining it with blood. "Hahh, yes, that's better." His fingers squeezed between my lips and into my mouth. He spread the taste of salt and iron across my tongue. All the while, I still obeyed him and kept my eyes open for him.
"S- stop," I mumbled against his fingers. My voice just enticed him more. He pushed his fingers further into my mouth, pushing my head back against the bed, as he dug his hips harder into me.
"Uhm, hah.." Reiji leaned into me. He removed his hand from my mouth and steadied himself. His other hand tightened around my thigh. I could only look up at the ceiling as I heard him moan next to me and as I felt him release into me.
My tears had dried. Reiji let me go and sat next to me with his back against the headboard. He reached over to the desk and picked up his glasses, returning them to his face.
"So it may seem that you are not completely useless, Yui." Reiji's hand brushed over my hair. He leaned down and kissed the jagged cut ends. "If only you had been this silent and obedient to begin with." I laid still, my head facing the window away from him. I could just barely see hints of the sun rising. I felt Reiji's lips at my throat, kissing where he had bit me. And then I felt him move off of the bed. "I have some matters to attend to. Do not forget to eat breakfast."
It took a few minutes, but he left. As I heard the door close, I jumped out of his bed. My clothes were folded neatly on his chair. Don't think, just run. Don't think. I redressed quickly and grabbed my father's letter. Don't think. I ran to my room and slammed the door behind me. I held the letter to my chest. Father.