AN: Thank you Amanda she's my beta ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-Hime

Warnings: Futanari story Vampire-Demon story with smut-like references.

"Talking"

"Thinking or P.O.V"

I lay there in silence, mouth agape, trapped under the weight of Fujino-sensei's body, arms pinned above my head to the floor as she clutched me by the wrists with just one hand. Slowly, she withdrew her mouth from my neck and unclasped my wrists, and a war rose up within me as I tried to decide if I was relieved or disappointed that I felt her form change positions into hovering above me on all fours, looking down into my barely open eyes. A thin line of blood trickled down a corner of her mouth and I watched as a red tongue darted out to lap at the crimson liquid, never breaking eye contact with me before she broke into a wicked grin. I touched my neck in shock only to discover there was no sign of blood when I pulled back my hand to examine it.

In one swift motion she was off of me and I was lifted into a standing position, the tightness of my solid and clenched muscles aiding her in doing so. She walked over toward the desk and pulled out a red, button-up shirt from a hidden, built-in wardrobe inside the wall behind it. As she pulled it on and buttoned it up, it became obvious to me that she would offer no explanation for what just happened, or perhaps she was waiting for me to ask questions. Everything she did was maddeningly slow.

"What the fuck did you do?" I shouted, pushing aside my confused arousal. I came wanting answers, but now had more questions than ever.

"I fed," she said, as if that was just the most normal thing in the world. "It is your duty as a princess to feed your Knight, and now that I have fed from you, we are entered into a blood contract which was drawn up by your father before your birth."

She leaned her weight slightly to one side with her hand on her hip, the other turned outward and gesturing as if teaching a lesson.

"Fujino-sensei-"

"Shizuru."

"Wha-?"

"You may refer to me by my first name when we are alone, Natsuki," she explained before tilting her head a bit and adding, "which I hope will be often."

I shook my head, more in communication to myself than to her - Shizuru.

"What do you mean there was a contract drawn up by my father? What contract!?"

Shizuru sat down at her desk and placed her hands in front of her before gesturing to a chair facing her, beckoning me to take a seat. The oversized leather furniture swallowed me up and I felt sheepish upon realizing that I was making quite a few squeaky noises as I settled down into its cushiony excess. All the while, Shizuru watched me with a most amused look on her face, almost as if she fought to conceal a wide smile or perhaps she was delighted at the things she knew which I did not. She leaned back in her chair and studied me, and perhaps it was my imagination, but I felt her cockiness was partly a result of her triumph over my body just moments ago. I wanted her hands on me and she knew it.

She can read my thoughts.

I averted my eyes upon remembering this and attempted to slow my heart rate and heavy breathing.

But God she is sexy.

I knew school came first, and no matter what, she was a teacher, and I was still a student.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before leading me into a wild story of history, religion and otherworldly powers. She took on a placid look as she explained it all.

"If you are familiar with history, Natsuki, you will recall hearing about the Templars. The Templars were knights that originally fought for a safe pilgrimage into Jerusalem. However, after years of fighting in the Middle East and ownership of the Holy Land being handed back and forth between factions, the mysteries and finances of the Knights of the Templars dwindled significantly before vanishing due to underhanded political motivations and pressures from the Vatican. That is what history tells us."

Shizuru cleared her throat before continuing on and I felt myself drawn and connected to her every word.

"But the remaining Knights went underground. A secret society was formed from what was already a covert group of individuals. A pact was formed between them and between us. Originally the pact was made for the Knights to channel us in order exact revenge upon those who sought to kill their brethren, those bandits who slaughtered them like dogs or burned them at the stake. Shortly before King Philip IV of France died after a hunting accident, the last openly remaining knights were disposed of, but still the Knights' numbers were not completely eradicated as they built an underground fortress. The remaining grandmasters hid until their dying days, and thus you now know how and why our pact was formed."

"They channeled you, you said? What are you?"

"Ara, so impatient," she said, expecting the question. "I'm getting to that point, but this history lesson is not over, my dear Natsuki. Centuries passed. Grandmaster Templars died, passing on what secrets they still held to the next generations within their families. In those years of healing, as they remained out of sight, the Vatican made peace with the Knights, but still disapproved of their association with us. The Knights still sought out our assistance in various matters, in spite of the Vatican's request to expel us from this world. With the Knights' abilities dwindling, they'd forgotten how to expel us as generations passed, but they did not want to sever the bond we'd created, even if they could remember how. And so a system was put into practice: instead of feeding off whomever we desired and to prove that we weren't ravenous beasts without a cause, contracts would be drawn up between the Templar Knights and our bloodline for us to feed off particular human women. And now we have the agreement of Knights and Princesses."

"P-Princess- I'm not who you think I am! Stop pretending you know me so well. And besides, you still haven't told me exactly what you are!"

"You cannot escape your fate. It was a deal made long ago and before your time by the Grand Masters and the Master Vampires of the four hemispheres within this realm you call earth. With the new generation and technology in place, there was no need for the Templar order and thus it has been diminished, but to honor their memory and sacrifices, we have now taken up the role of guardianship of the secrets of the order. We guard both the very women from which we feed and the secrets of the Catholic church, though we are at odds with them," she went on as she folded the fingers of both hands together and propped her chin up on them, resting her elbows upon the desk's surface. "Now, to explain the answer to your question in the most easily understood fashion, we are demons. However, the folklore and movies surrounding us may lead you to call us vampires."

"So…why are you here exactly?" I asked, feeling that my level of shock could not possibly reach beyond the massive height from which it currently teetered.

"Just as with any of my kind, I'm here to survive. However, I am also here for you. Your father was the last Grand Master Templar within the eastern hemisphere and there are no more Templars of the current generation. His death was not a stroke of bad luck nor was it the result of depression. The court has been looking into this matter for quite some time. Nothing has turned up yet. You may be interested to know about his past. His ability to acquire the mastery of Templar secrets came from your his marriage to your mother. The Templars always served as a sort of buffer between the Vatican and ourselves, but now that your father is gone, there is no one to take up the cause. This situation gives rise for the need to inform you, Natsuki Kuga, of the special abilities which you possess. You have the power to end the war with the Vatican."

"I'm just a fucking college student - last night was something that shouldn't have happened!" I spat, now feeling helplessly involved in a situation in which I wanted no part. No one ever asked me how I felt about any of this.

"Your ability to astral project is what makes you so very special. Last night was just the beginning of that power. Now we are entered into a bond, my dear Natsuki, and your father knew about this ability of yours, which is why he called upon me to protect you. In turn, it was agreed that you would serve as my princess. You may not approve of your not being consulted on this matter, but astral projecting is both a danger to you and those around you if you do not learn to control it. You should know that your mother has the same ability, but she is now a holy woman residing in Rome, and I am not welcome to even so much as set foot upon their sacred ground, unless I am prepared for war."

"I'm confused. What's this all mean? You can't just say that my father was in some old order, and it has to do with demons and Templars and the Catholic Church just like that, and expect me to understand all this. Besides there is no scientific evidence that any of this exists! My father died because something wasn't right, but this goes way off the line of reality."

I folded my arms in front of my chest and pushed my legs defiantly together while tightly gripping my hoodie with balled up fingers. I was reminded that I had thrown my hoodie carelessly over my bra-clad chest without the addition of a shirt, and I grew nervous upon remembering that.

And Shizuru knows now, because I actually thought about it.

I sighed.

Surprisingly, her thoughts and words seemed to remain focused on the more important matter at hand.

"Do you believe in the reality that is front of you, or do you believe in the reality that you have been taught? One can turn to the existence of God for a more familiar example. He is very real to those who believe in him, although they cannot hear or see him, nor deduce his will for their lives. Yet for them, it is their reality. It is similar to what you experienced last night. You may not have been in physical danger, but last night was your reality and what you experienced was real, though not everyone would have been able to see the events. It is how the underworld works. I am just as real. I am Shizuru Fujino, leader of the eastern hemisphere of the Knights and I now hold such a position over the western hemisphere as well. In addition, I am of one of the four great families of the underworld."

Fear, anger, desperation, and bewilderment flooded my mind and I felt myself becoming enraged at the very notion that I would be a tool in this game of vampires, families and destinies. It made me want to pull my hair out and scream. I felt like a fool within a play, a butt of some cruel joke wherein Shizuru Fujino had all the winning cards within her hand, and had every comeback prepared ahead of time for each of my unspoken thoughts, which annoyed me to no end. None of this could be real! I knew it couldn't be real, so I reacted as any sane, logical human would: with hysterics and disbelief.

"What the fuck! How do they hire someone like you here at the school, anyway? I'm going to report you to the dean!"

"You can do that, certainly, but I assure you that it would do you no good, for I am the sole owner of this school. He knows his position under me very well, and understands his place in all of this. Try if you must. You are still my student," she replied, chin still resting upon her fingers.

"Wait, so you're the owner of the school and you teach here too? Who does that, anyway?" I snapped back at her. I felt anxious to unload a whirlwind of hurtful words on the nearest person, and it just happened to be her.

"I do," she answered, perhaps a little too quickly. "I have put these plans in motion, fully intending to see them through, and I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Now that you are here, you are my student," she reminded me, "and you will learn more in due time."

"Student…what do you mean by s-student?"
Oh no - I'd forgotten about the email sent to me which I'd read in the library signed Shizuru Fujino at the bottom. I must look like a fool.

"You are in my class this Sunday - Paranormal Myth 201," she giggled, understanding my confusion.

I felt like the biggest idiot in school at that moment. I should have known who she was all along. Up until that moment, she'd only been 'the woman from the library who I then knew to be Shizuru Fujino,' but I had forgotten the signature on the email welcoming me to the Paranormal Myth 201 class. I knew that if I dropped the class, my transcript would not be as solid, or my GPA might suffer if I surpassed the deadline to drop the course. Either way, none of my options seemed particularly bright. I was in a difficult situation and Alpha-Beta only complicated things. I attempted to avert my attention once again to the woman in front of me, and what role she played in my life.

"There is no way that a freak like you should be teaching any of my classes!" I shot back.

But saying those words didn't feel nearly as gratifying as I thought it would. My anger sank into my stomach as I immediately registered the hurt in Shizuru's red eyes. I guess she couldn't read my thoughts if I did not think before I spoke.

And not thinking before you speak is a problem...

Such a countenance did not belong on such a face as hers. I knew I'd hit a sore spot in her feelings, and I couldn't explain why I felt a pain in my chest just witnessing the sudden change in her demeanor and expression, however brief it may have been.

The silence which followed hung heavily over us both, blanketing us in its depths of bleakness. I waited for her to end me, reminded that she could most certainly do it without blinking. I saw what she'd done last night, or at least I saw enough to know her abilities. If I had been on the receiving end of such blunt, malicious words, I would have reached right across and delivered a smart slap across the cheek. But as I watched her and searched her face, she patiently gathered herself back up and spoke once more.

"No matter how you may feel about this, princess, you are under not only my watch, but also the keen eye of a select group of important and capable individuals. It is for your protection. You may not want to be drawn into this, but that decision was made long ago when you inherited your powers. You can either deal with it on your own and live a very short life without answers, or you can accept the protection which I have offered you long before you knew of the need for it. It is for you that I have done so many things; you simply do not know it yet. You would do well to remember that."

"Is that a threat?" I accused before I swallowed hard. I wasn't sure whether I should be flattered or intimidated, but it was better to keep my guard up rather than let myself be touched at her words, knowing that any person that I let get close to me could result in hurt once they were ripped away from me. Such was my life up until then.

"No, it is not a threat, but I will not have myself openly mocked within a court of my brethren due to my inability to protect what is mine. I am a knight, and my honor will not let me allow you to slip through my fingers. More importantly, your wellbeing is at stake. This experience, Natsuki, can be a good or a bad one, depending on where you go from here. You will find that being a vampire's princess can have its advantages as well as its...hmmm, pleasures." Her eyes flashed just briefly as she trailed off and breathed the last word much hidden emphasis.

"Whatever. I'm out of here. This is bullshit." I retorted, very unhappy at my body's response to her last words. My head may have been forcing my body up from my squeaky leather chair before heading to the door, but everything else within me screamed for me to stay.

"Natsuki," Shizuru called, barely above a whisper. It sounded like a plea.

I turned around only to realize I'd left my grandma's Rosary on the desk, which she now held in her hand once more. It was the very reason I had come into this room to begin with, and there I was about to leave it – again! Shizuru stood now, leaning amusedly against her desk with a smile. She only sounded sad as she said my name, playing on my emotions and knowing it would get me to turn around. She knew how to manipulate me! The very idea caused my face to start burning.

I marched over to her, snatching it from her fingers before she snaked an arm around my waist, pulling my body flush against hers and her face close to mine. She tilted my chin and looked into my eyes.

"You are mine, Natsuki, even if you don't know it yet."

My legs could not run fast enough. I burst out of the door and in a haze, the halls, courtyard, fountain and benches blurring past me. I ran to the safety of my dorm room with my face still on fire from Shizuru's words.

I landed in bed face first with my fists pounding themselves into my pillow, seemingly of their own accord. For the first time in my life, I felt like just skipping class. There was no possible way that I would be able to focus today. Tonight's Alpha-Beta meeting was scheduled for six o'clock and I knew there would be yet more answers that I needed to unravel. I could only hope that the answers would be logical and humane. I wished for sanity and I wanted my old life back...the one I'd had just a couple of days ago before all this bullshit.

I let out a series of small groans before picking myself up off the bed and pacing the floor like a nervous cat. It felt as if I would hallow out a pathway into the floor as I rubbed my grandmother's Rosary and I silently prayed. I was never one for prayer before, but I sure could use something - anything! - to hear my plea and for all of this to just go away. I looked at the clock on my desk. Class was now only thirty minutes away, and I jumped at the sudden sound of my door opening. Alyssa entered, oblivious to my currently frantic state of mind, wearing only a towel as she had just exited the showers. I knew I had to ask her.

She spoke first.

"Hey knock out queen, how did you sleep?" she asked as she brushed her hair.

My thoughts swam with memories of last night. I needed to find out what went on from her perspective. I remembered the email that I received and it was as if there was a force beckoning me to check my inbox again. But first I needed to find out what happened. As I attempted to gather my thoughts, Alyssa changed into her clothes, not caring that I was getting a free show. She wasn't my type anyway, and she knew it.

"I slept well. So well, in fact, that I can't even remember what happened. Did I go out anywhere last night?"

Alyssa shook her head with a confused look on her face before replying.

"No, you just crashed right after you took a shower. You didn't even bother to dress yourself in your PJs, just your underwear. Why, did something happen?"

"Um, no I just had a strange dream last night. Nothing to be concerned about. Well I better leave for class now," I said, attempting to be as casual as possible. Having her realize that I was insane was the last thing I needed.

Before leaving, I unzipped my hoodie and threw on a random, crumpled up t shirt from a pile of laundry which was clean but unfolded as was most of my laundry, and I slipped back into my hoodie as I raced out of the door, backpack in hand.

The day wore on and I stared out of the window in my classroom, slumped down in my desk as I succumbed to the notion that my desire to return back to normal life was no longer within the realm of reality.

With my class over, I dragged myself up to the desk at the front to turn in my homework atop the pile of other students' assignments in front of the teacher.

"Ms. Kuga," my teacher spoke up as I turned to leave.

I felt like a sloppy mess and hated for attention to be drawn to my poor appearance as my clothes hung loosely on my body and one strap of my backpack dug into my shoulder. I thought sitting at the back would help me melt into the crowd like camouflage, but I guess I was wrong.

"Yes Mankato-sensei?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes...I know I don't look it, just a lack of sleep I guess is to blame. I was up reading and researching on the biometrics lecture you have in the spring."

"I see. Keen as always Ms. Kuga. This brings me to my next point," he smiled. "That biometrics lecture in which you seem so interested? Well, I talked it over with the board in the science department and the decision was unanimous. You are hereby invited to attend the lecture. It seems someone really is pushing for you to attend! This is a real honor as most of our gifted seniors fight to get in, and some still do not get to attend without the proper recommendations."

I could not believe what my ears were hearing. The biometrics lecture from Mankato-sensei was the event of a lifetime! He was on the cutting edge of technological advancements within his field and within the scientific community, not to mention one of the reasons I applied to this university. Many within my major wished to attend, but with only three sots available per class, only a few could attend. The recommendations to get on the list were nearly impossible to acquire. Maintaining a top GPA was not enough; you had to earn recommendations from at least five professors, each with their strict nature and demanding intern work required to reach those said recommendations. Most dropped out of the program before they finished.

Taking his hand in mine, I shook it gratefully as if he had just handed me the world. This was the sense of normalcy that I wanted for myself and in that moment, I forgot all about Templars, demons, astral projections, and wars, and I returned back to reality. The reality that I wanted to choose for myself.

"Thank you so much Mankato-sensei! I won't let you down!" I gushed. "Do you know the professor that pushed for my initial attendance?"

"Hmmm...Oh yes, it was Fujino-sensei that recommended you."

I felt the blood drain from my face as my smile faltered in its strength. I came crashing back down from my height among the clouds. If she pushed for my attendance, did it mean she was manipulating me into doing what she wanted me to do for her purposes? Or was it because she simply knew that I was interested and she unselfishly pulled some strings for me? I didn't know whether I should be happy or scream.

"Is something wrong Ms. Kuga?"

"No-nothing-I mean, thank you for the information and I hope to live up to your expectations."

"No problem. Now we don't start until spring. Just keep your GPA up this semester and you're in. Here is the form. I expect to have it back by our next class meeting," he replied, extending to me the proper papers for the event. I took them with shaky fingers and slipped them securely into a folder in my backpack.

The old man turned around to tend to his desk and it was then that I could feel someone watching me. I turned my head slightly to catch a glimpse of lime green eyes glaring at me from around the edge of the doorway. I immediately felt a sense of irritation overtake me and I flicked my hair over my shoulder. I could feel her attitude from several meters away. I was reminded that Shizuru had to have an involvement in all of this: my classes, my invitation to the lecture, my invitation to Alpha-Beta, and possibly even this girl Nao who was currently stalking me at the end of my class.

Whatever she was up to, I wanted nothing to do with it.

"Thank you. I'll have this filled out by next class."

I threw my backpack over my shoulder once again and made my way out of the door, realizing Nao was no longer where I'd spotted her just moments before. I looked around me and down the hall before turning my eyes up toward the top of the large staircase at the end of the hall. She was still watching me, and I was slightly disappointed that she hadn't given up on talking to me, clearly picking me out of the crowd which now swarmed the hall in a massive flood of students seeking out their next class. She knew where I was headed next as I would need to use that very staircase next.

No surprises there.

I rolled my eyes and took the bait, knowing I could not prolong the inevitable.

As I passed by her, she grabbed my arm.

"We need to talk."

A few minutes later, we sat outside of the cafeteria at a small table under a massive umbrella aside a window to a local student cafe. Nao seemed unfazed by the sun, and so that settled one of my questions about vampires, for I assumed by now that she was one. Why did I feel so differently about Shizuru than I did Nao, though? I felt fleeting flashes of confusion, want, and arousal for Shizuru, but felt vexed and troubled around Nao.

She sipped her plain coffee in a pair of black jeans and a black V-neck t shirt, and I made the further assessment that black must be the color for Alpha-Beta to wear. I would hardly admit to myself that I slightly found it to be kind of cool on others, but it wasn't for me.

"Why don't you tell me what you want, or why I'm sitting here with you right now, silent and bored?"

"Is that any way for you to talk to your future sister?" she asked with an obnoxiously sweet expression plastered across her face.

"I told you: I'm not going to join. I'm just going to look and that's it. Besides, I have questions for you."

"Questions, huh? I don't believe you're in the right position to be asking questions of me. You are not my princess, and I don't believe I should feel obligated to answer to your questions, human. I think you should consider what's on the line here. Fujino pulled that deal for you, and you're just a freshman. Not many freshman get into that class. Whatever Shizuru did to get you in it wasn't easy. She must have known it was important to you so she pulled some strings."

"So bribing me is a way to get me in," I stated, feeling it was a matter of fact now fixated in my mind rather than a question.

"Are you always this stupid, or is today just a special day? We aren't forcing you to do anything. The deal is simple - you allow your Knight to feed off of you and the Order takes care of both you and your education. Anything you need, we provide. Simple as that. An opportunity for you to see all these benefits will be laid out in the meeting."

"Benefits?" I nearly choked on the word. "Are you seriously asking me to become vampire food for an education?" I knew I couldn't be loud considering our rather conspicuous location around many other students scattered about the tables outside the cafe. I watched Nao's cocky smile spread across her face which only pissed me off even more.

"Like I said before, human, no one is forcing you to do shit. And no, it's not just for 'education' as you said. You know good and damn well that Fujino will be protecting you. Now you can always go the other route such as those who live in fear, and go blab your discoveries to the world. You can go shout it out to everyone you know, but we always have a way of covering that up."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple. Those demons that you encountered during your little midnight run last night? We could just leave you to them. Just to let you know, if your soul is killed, your body will die as well and we won't come to save you no matter what, so I suggest that you keep all this new knowledge that you've learned within the past twenty four hours to yourself, and don't go telling tall tales any time soon. Try to go with the flow. It'll be a lot easier that way. Besides, what more could you lose? You'll won't suffer the same pains of daily life that you've suffered thus far in life."

"You don't even know anything about my life," I shot back. She waved her hand in front of her face.

"That doesn't matter. All humans lead similar lives. Tragic."

She took another sip of her coffee and I realized that if I gave into my urge to slap that cup right out of her hand, I would get no more information from her.

"Why should I believe anything you're saying?"

She sighed.

"You know, if you don't open your laptop and check at your inbox, it's just going to keep gnawing at you. I've been reading your mind all day, not that that's difficult to do. You want to know if what you saw last night was real or not. Damn, even Fujino didn't convince you? You really are thick headed."

My eyes must have gone wide with shock judging by the pleased expression on Nao's face after those last words hit me right where she wanted them to. I took out my laptop from my backpack and placed it upon the table, taking advantage of the free wifi on campus. My inbox was up in mere seconds and my heart sank. The email from last night was missing.

What did this prove, if anything? I felt lost and confused. Was all of it a dream, or was any of this real? The thin fabric of my reality was being torn thread by thread with each passing second and I looked at my reflection in the window of the cafe. Was this reality and how can I ever adjust to this new life?

AN: Read and review.