Hello~~ It feels great to get back to this story! And as always, I apologise for the severely long wait you all had to go through for this story. Really, I desperately want to see it completed, so I will try to work hard and give you a wonderful story.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the love and support you've given me. Your reviews really do encourage me to continue because I see that you all enjoy it. This story is nowhere close to being a failure, so surely we shall reach the end someday soon.

Please, I do hope you all like this chapter. We finally meet a set of characters that will surely bring some familiarity and friendliness. :)

Enjoy!


A Vampire's Kill

Chapter 7


Buttoning the last cuff of his black shirt, Yugi looked up with a start as the door to his bedroom creaked open. He was hardly surprised to see that it was Atem who poked his head through the gap, watching him with that impish smile that seemed so innocent and devilish at the same time.

"Are you ready?" Atem asked, and Yugi stared as the self-exiled King entered, appearing even more dashing and mysterious than ever.

"Yes," Yugi answered cautiously, and he could not hide the raised brow as he looked at Atem. Grabbing his coat from the bed, he murmured, "Aren't you a bit overdressed?"

Atem was donned completely in black. He wore his favourite jacket- the one that went all the way to his thighs with the big hood. The hood was already thrown over his head, framing his face nicely, and since the jacket was undone, Yugi was able to see the elegant black shirt and the neatly pressed black pants that were shoved into his shoes. The small heels of his boots tapped against the floor with each step Atem took to get nearer to him.

He really did look like a glittering Prince.

Atem's own eyes widened by his question, and Yugi watched as Atem turned his gaze towards his outfit, curious.

"Am I? This is my usual outfit. Though, I may have added some extra accessories… and changed a few things," Atem muttered to himself. He fiddled with his crimson gem that he chose to wear around his neck, mind aflutter as he tried to find a proper reason for Yugi's words.

Despite himself, Yugi allowed a smile to appear on his face. Atem could be so clueless sometimes. If the other was a human, he might just have been someone he would have liked to get along with.

"What am I thinking?!" Yugi immediately halted his thoughts. He felt sick to the stomach. Only a year had passed and he was completely submissive to the vampire that turned his whole world upside down. Atem killed his mother. Everyone he knew was gone because of the ones he was currently living with. He shouldn't want to be their friends. He should be furious. He should want revenge! But, he wasn't angry.

He was really nothing but helpless. He could not go back to being human. There was no way for him to go back to being human. What option did he have? On his own he knew he would never survive. Or, was he just lying to himself? Was he giving in to his bloodthirst and urges? For all he knew he was becoming just as cold hearted as the vampires.

No. That wasn't right too. It wasn't true! He understood that now. All vampires were not cold hearted. Kaiba and Bakura proved that to him already. They cared for Atem severely, and Atem loved Yami more than anything in the world.

Yugi clenched his teeth hard, his eyes drilling holes into the floor as the confliction tore through him.

"What's the matter? You're making quite an ugly face," Atem suddenly asked, and Yugi's head spun towards him. His mind went blank for a few seconds. He was unable to move his face and change it from the frown it wore, but after some mental effort he managed to shove the depressed look away and give Atem a little smile.

"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing," Yugi said, but Atem continued to look at him some more. He could see that something was bothering the boy, but if Yugi did not want to tell him, there was no point forcing it out of him. It would only widen the space between them, making sure that he never caught a glimpse of a cute smile he desperately wanted to see for a change.

Turning away with a sigh, Atem nodded slowly.

"If you say so."

"Ah, we should probably get going. The others must be waiting for us," Yugi said, changing the subject by using a lighter tone, and Atem glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. It was after ten.

"Yes. It is dark already," Atem agreed, and with that, he stepped back and ushered Yugi with an arm to walk ahead of him before following closely behind.

As Atem shut the door, Yugi turned and started walking down the hallway and towards the sound of voices coming from the living area. His eyes immediately caught sight of Bakura who was leaning against the kitchen entrance, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his long jacket. Upon taking a closer look at the white headed vampire though, Yugi's eyes widened with surprise. Bakura's unruly hair was, for once, combed and smooth, tied up into a little ponytail that seemed to suit him quite well.

He and Bakura locked gazes as soon as he entered the living room with Atem, and Yugi gave Bakura a thumbs up for the style, forcing a genuine smile and pushing back the dark thoughts. Bakura responded to his thumbs up with confusion, but he quickly realised what Yugi was referring to because he grumbled and looked away with slight redness on his face. Yugi giggled lightly at the display. Thank goodness Bakura was in a somewhat normal mood. Ever since they had gotten home from the tea store, he had been nothing but cranky.

"It's about time!" Marik exclaimed as soon as they stepped into the room, and turning his head towards the couches, Yugi saw the bleach blond vampire stand hurriedly, expressions of relief and anxiousness crossing his face.

Yugi watched Marik with interest. Marik seemed… jumpy for some reason. Uncomfortable even. Why was that? As Kaiba stood up slowly and cast a look their way, Yugi quickly figured it out.

Kaiba was wearing the most serious and cold face he had ever seen. Of course, it was normal for Kaiba to look quite unapproachable, but the look he had on right at this moment was nothing short of venomous. What was the reason for that? Recognition dawning on him again, Yugi turned to look at Bakura once more, finally taking notice of the poker-face look the other secretly wore.

Yugi inwardly sighed. Were the two still not speaking to each other? Looking at the situation, it was very likely. However, it was also plain to him that the tension between the two was having an undesirable effect of Marik. Always friendly, Marik must have surely tried to douse the flames, only to get burnt himself. And for that, Yugi could only blame himself. The situation was partly his fault after all. He unconsciously poked at Bakura's source of troubles, and now the vampire was still bristling after reliving the memories Yugi forced out of him.

For as long as he knew them, Kaiba and Bakura fought together about Atem and all the issues surrounding the King. It was clear that they both cared for Atem greatly, but that was where part of the problem laid. They cared for him in different ways, and their opinions were clashing tremendously.

From his understanding, Yami's death caused Atem to fall into a state of self-blame. Atem was so shocked by his brother's death that after some time in isolation, he blocked the memory out completely. A barrier, a shell, was what they called it, and as time went on, the bigger the shell got. And now, due to Atem running away and deciding to ignore the situation and the memories, he started to change, and neither Bakura nor Kaiba could agree as to whether the change was a positive one or a negative one. Kaiba insisted that the change was good because Atem seemed happier and more at peace, while Bakura was sure the change was horrible because he was just running away from his problems and letting the whole Vampire Kingdom fall into unworthy hands.

"Are you ready?" Atem asked them, and startled, Yugi looked up when Atem took his hand, holding on lightly. Yugi ignored it. The thought of resisting Atem's hand left his mind since all he could now feel was empathy weighing heavily on his heart.

What was he going to do? The problems were driving a wedge between the three, and the misunderstandings were only getting bigger and bigger as the days passed.

Yugi shut his eyes briefly, feeling the odd warmth of Atem's hands. It only made him feel sicker on the inside. Was Atem noticing the change in behaviour of his most loyal subjects and closest friends, or was he completely oblivious to the changes like Bakura said?

"We were just waiting on the both of you," Kaiba went on to explain, and Yugi watched as the blue-eyed vampire slipped on his shoes before removing his coat from the closet.

"Well we're done now. Let us head out then," Atem informed, and as Kaiba and Marik went up the steps, Atem stopped and turned to Yugi, watching the boy carefully.

Yugi removed his eyes from Kaiba and Marik's retreating backs to return the stare, a bit hesitant because he quickly spotted the familiar look of overwhelming concern in the crimson eyes. He gulped, feeling the nervousness Atem's intense gaze suddenly, always, brought him. He had to remind himself though. Atem was only holding on to him because he reminded him of Yami. Yugi could only see it as a moment between the two brothers that Atem could only long for.

It was clear to him that it was getting out of control. Atem's feelings for Yami were getting stronger. Maybe Bakura was the one who was right.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Atem asked softly, and his hands went up to rest on Yugi's shoulders.

"Nothing's wrong," Yugi said quietly, stiffening at the touch, but Atem did not look convinced.

"Are you afraid?" Atem whispered.

"Afraid?" Yugi echoed, and Atem nodded.

"Does the thought of taking your first human frighten you?"

At that, Yugi had to pause. He had forgotten the reason they were going out. They said that he needed human blood, and soon, or else he would grow weak. Now that the thought crossed his mind, he quickly realised that he did feel nervous. His stomach started doing flops, and images of Atem and the others feeding made an appearance in his memories. Would he actually have to kill a person to survive? Was his life more important than someone else's?

When Yugi did not respond, Atem got his answer. He sighed and let out a small smile, brushing Yugi's cheek in a reassuring way with his thumb. Yugi's purple eyes returned to him at the touch.

"Do not worry," Atem soothed. "I understand that it may be a bit difficult at first, but everything will get easier. I will be there. I will help you, so do not worry. I promise that everything will be alright."

Even though he was still unsure, about everything, Yugi nodded. He took Atem's hand when it was offered to him, and together they left the room. He turned around when he felt a hand on his head, only to see Bakura giving him a comforting blink. Yugi forced a smile before returning his gaze to Atem who blew out the torches one by one as they made their way up the steps.

As Yugi's head popped up from under the ground, he was immediately met with a strong, cool wind, and utter darkness. He smelled the freshness of the autumn air as he stepped out, and the sound of his boots crunching on the yellowed grass freed the weight on his shoulders. When his eyes adjusted themselves, he looked up through the bare branches where he could see the faint glow of the stars, the moon nowhere in sight.

"We can go to a town I know pretty well," Marik started to say, and Yugi's attention returned once more to them, watching as Bakura closed the trapdoor and pushed the rock back into place with Kaiba's help. Seeing the exchange, some hope returned to him.

"Where is it?" Atem asked from beside him, and Yugi wore the gloves Atem handed to him. It was not that cold, but still Atem was insistent on him wearing them.

"It's somewhere in the North-East direction. Not too far. It has been a long time since the clan had hunted there, so it should be fine to go for a second round," Marik explained.

"Is that such a good idea? If the clan has hunted there before, surely it must be deserted. How can we trust this fool?!" Kaiba spat, and at the term Marik scowled helplessly. Much to Kaiba's astonishment however, Atem agreed with Marik.

"I think it should be fine," Atem stated firmly, and Kaiba zipped his mouth, crossing his arms angrily. Yugi blinked. There was no way Kaiba would argue with Atem's tone like that. It didn't stop him from complaining though.

"I do not understand why you trust him so easily."

"Just let it be," Bakura spoke up. "What's the harm in going? If it's deserted, we can find elsewhere."

"I am not going to waste my time. Besides, Yugi needs to feed as soon as possible. We cannot afford any unnecessary delays," Kaiba argued.

Hearing them bicker about him, Yugi hid behind Atem, the thought of feeding hitting him like a boulder once more. Atem must have sensed his fear because he squeezed his hand encouragingly, giving him another small smile.

"Enough now. We will follow Marik and see what is left," Atem said.

"I'm pretty sure the town is still there. It was just a small group of us that had gone the first time anyways. We didn't rampage like idiots. I managed to keep some under control, you know," Marik said, but his enlightenment did nothing to ease Kaiba's suspicions.

"Whatever," Kaiba muttered after a while of silence and having everyone watch him. That was what let them know he gave in.

Now that that had been solved, Yugi turned to see what kept Bakura quiet. The white haired vamp was standing still, facing the deeper part of the forest. His brown and green-hued eyes scanned the trees intently with a serious expression on his face. It was as if he was searching for something.

"Bakura," Atem called to let him know they were leaving, but Bakura lifted a warning hand instead, his forefinger out.

"Wait," he said sharply, and immediately everyone stopped. Bakura did not remove his gaze from the trees.

"What is it?" Atem questioned, and as he started to approach Bakura, he too suddenly stop as well. His eyes widened, and Yugi watched as Atem looked in the direction Bakura was gazing at with just as much severity.

"What is going on?" Kaiba muttered, looking at them, and Atem shushed him as well.

"Can you feel it?" Atem whispered to them, and after a moment of confusion, they too seemed to catch on. Kaiba and Marik started looking around, senses on high alert.

Yugi glanced at the four, completely unsure of what was going on. None of them made a single sound. Instead, they were listening and watching the surroundings carefully.

He always knew that vampires had many special abilities. One of the common ones was speed. They were also gifted with exceptionally good looks to attract promising humans to feed on. But, they also had good eyesight and just as good hearing.

As for the ability of being able to transform into bats… Atem explained to him that it was a skill that got lost through the generations. It was very common at the beginning of the vampire era, but died out as the vampires evolved.

Yugi was a turned vampire. Since he hadn't drunk human blood yet, many of his abilities were still in their early stages. That was why he could not hear or sense whatever it was the other four were picking up on. However, that did not leave him completely in the dark. Although his vampire senses were still dormant, his human senses that he still carried had an idea and were working overtime. His heart was pounding rapidly and he was starting to feel very uneasy. It felt as if someone was watching him, but not quite. He could feel someone coming. Something was coming, but what?

"Werewolves?" Bakura suddenly whispered with surprise, and Yugi looked up with a start, watching as Bakura and Atem's eyes met warningly.

"How is that possible?" Kaiba snapped, and he spun around, looking at Atem and Bakura who continued to glance around themselves.

"There are werewolves in this forest?" Marik asked, hushed, and Yugi found himself thinking the same question.

He had a suspicion that werewolves too existed since he was pretty much open to anything existing after being turned into a vampire, but he had never come across one living in the forest. Bakura and Kaiba had told him that the forest was all theirs, and never brought up werewolves before. If that was the case, then why were they sensing the presence of werewolves now? Each species is supposed to stick to their own territory, or something like that.

"Actually," Atem started, and hearing the voice laced with a hint of guilt had all eyes turning towards him once more. "The werewolves used to occupy a part of the forest when I first came here. I remember vaguely sensing them, but after some time I did not feel them around anymore. I assumed that they moved because of my presence."

Silence.

"Then are they back for their territory?" Bakura wondered warily.

"According to what Atem told us, it is very likely," Kaiba said. He turned back to the others. "Now the question is, what do they want? Surely they can smell our presence as well. They are known for their extraordinary nose."

"Oh, we definitely can. And thank you for the compliment."

All eyes turned around after hearing a woman's voice, and instantly they locked themselves on the owner. A tall, blonde woman dressed in a long black dress, the straps hanging off her shoulders as she glided from within the trees towards them. She had purple eyes that bore into theirs, and at her side was a man with blond, shaggy locks of hair and honey coloured eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba immediately hissed, and Yugi watched with wide eyes as the blue-eyed vampire took a few steps toward the two newcomers. Atem pushed Yugi behind him with an arm, and from there Yugi watched as the two stopped where they stood after seeing Kaiba's violent reaction.

While the blond man stepped back once, the woman's eyes just widened with amusement and excitement.

"Don't worry. We're not here to cause problems." This time it was the man who spoke, stepping forward after findings his bearings. He tried to get the woman to step back, mostly so that she could not cause a scene, but she pushed him aside and took up a proud pose.

None of the vampires were amused, Yugi noticed.

"Yes. No problems," the woman agreed, and she crossed her arms, looking at them all one by one. Yugi felt an odd chill run up his spine when her eyes landed on him briefly before returning them to Kaiba. "We just wanted to meet the vampire's we sniffed out as soon as we arrived."

"My name is Joey, this here is Mai," the man, Joey, finally said, and he put a hand on Mai's shoulder with a shaky, slightly worried, smile.

"Why do you want to meet with us?" Bakura asked, and he looked quickly in Atem's direction for approval. Atem nodded once, his eyes stuck on the two with thorough awareness.

"As you can no doubt already tell, we're werewolves. Not right now, obviously," Mai joked. "This is our human form. I don't think it would be fair to have you speak to us in our wolf form."

"Get to the point," Atem snapped, and at that the woman's laughter ceased. She smiled instead, looking at Atem keenly.

"We're just here to remind you that since the forest initially belonged to the werewolves, we have all right to be here and occupy it again with our pack," Mai started to explain.

"We have no intention of causing any harm or trouble to you," Joey continued, "nor will we try to drive you away."

"Our den is just on the East end of the forest," Mai said, pointing in the direction they came from. "Again, we just came to let you know of our purposes. We will stay out of your way if you stay out of ours. Is that alright?"

Atem nodded, lips tightly pressed together.

"Good," Mai sang cheerfully.

The more Yugi glanced at Mai, the more uneasy he felt. Was Mai just really confident, or was she so strong that she had no issue speaking to them, vampires, in such a manner. She was toying with them, no fear whatsoever. Really, that frightened him quite a bit. Even the others seemed to be at unease by her behaviour. Joey on the other hand was friendly enough. He did not behave in a way that would make Kaiba or Bakura or even Atem want to keep a close eye on for any sneaky behaviour.

"We hope that we all can share the forest peacefully. Times have changed. We believe that there shouldn't be a cause to resort to needless violence between our two species," Joey said quietly.

After hearing that, the hand that was wrapped around Yugi's slackened just a bit.

"I agree. I promise you that we will cause no harm to you or your pack without reason," Atem stated resolutely, and Joey smiled, bowing his head slightly at hearing the definite tone. Mai too did the same.

"Of course, Your Majesty," she whispered, and Yugi immediately felt Atem's body go stiff.

Yugi looked up and quickly he saw the disturbed look that crossed Atem's face. Kaiba and Bakura too were surprised, but since they were already at a loss with the newcomers, they were unable to say anything. He knew it though. Something was definitely fishy about them. How could they have possibly known Atem was the King?

"We'll take your leave," Joey said, and with that, the two turned and left. Yugi watched with curiosity as they transformed in the darkness, taking off without another glance.

Silence echoed around them until the last crunch was heard in the far distance, but still neither of them moved. They just watched the darkness, and Yugi could see the confusion and worry the new neighbours created with their arrival. Now the issue was going to be about what and how to deal with them. The werewolves vowed to stay their distance, and the vampires promised the same as well. However…

"We can't trust them," Bakura said firmly.

"They know where you are," Kaiba continued.

"If word was to get out that you were here…" Marik went on, and at that Atem looked up, eyes seemingly glowing underneath the hood as he thought deeply.

He finally spoke.

"We have no choice but to wait and see," Atem said, and he looked at Marik steadily. The expression told them that the matter was done for now.

"Let's go."

Marik gave Atem a single nod, and just like that he took off. They all followed behind closely without another word, swerving through the forest with the swiftness of a small bird.

Yugi gripped on to Atem's hand, trying his best to keep up with the King's speed. He could see him. He could see those red eyes glazed over with thought, and Yugi felt a little pang in his chest as he watched the conflict continue within those orbs. He could not imagine what Atem was thinking. Having the werewolves know about him was risky. Like Marik said, if word got out, it would be almost impossible to run away from the vampire nobles.

After all, each one them wanted nothing more than Atem's head, and his crown.


Ah~ There we have it. I hope this was a good chapter after the months of waiting. It took me a long time to get the chapter to the point where I was content. xD I really do hope it was enjoyable, and that you liked the appearance of Mai and Joey. Also, I hope that it was smooth to read, and that things seemed to be okay. Really, I don't know why this chapter bugged me so much.

Oh, and I'll also say this now, since some lines in the chapter may be interpreted differently. There is NO puzzleshipping. Trust me. This is not a romance fic.

I thank you all deeply for reading, and please, do review! I have planned the story out until chapter 15 (as of now), so if you want to see quick updates, please review and send me some love.

Thank you again.

Bye~