Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The Maiden of Autumn owns nothing.

Thank you to all the readers and reviewers- please, continue to enjoy the story.

And to the guest reviewer... I do apologize that you weren't given ample time to locate a dictionary. I thought that you might enjoy the update more than your search to find the elusive book... anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Vincent idly tapped his pencil on his desk, tuning out the teacher. Really, he knew all this that the instructor was talking about, and probably even more.

It just came naturally to him for some reason.

Looking around, bored, his crimson eyes wandered over to the seat where Kaname would have been sitting, if he were here.

Vincent frowned- the brunette had not been to any of their classes tonight, and from what he had surmised, the student rarely missed classes…

He tuned into what the instructor was saying for a moment before blocking it out; he already knew all about logarithms, although he wasn't sure why. Vincent saw Hanabusa staring off into space, and a smile flitted momentarily across his face; Senri had told him all about how Hanabusa was their resident genius, able to solve anything and everything problematic.

This was probably child's play to him.

A flash of silver outside the window had Vincent's head whipping to the side, observing as a figure that Vincent recognized as Zero staggering his way across the grounds, heading towards the Sun Dorms, where Cross's house was next to. He was clutching his throat, his stride broken and shaky.

Fear flashed across Vincent's mind for a split second- was Zero having another fit?- before he pushed it away. Zero didn't want any interference; that much was certainly clear after tonight. He could deal with it by himself.

Still…

Thoughts of how weak and in pain Zero had been in the last night came back to Vincent.

"Vincent…I guess that's another thing we have in common, huh?" Then, there was that lovely smile, the one that transformed Zero's face into something beautiful, something that made Vincent's heart stop for a moment. "Problems that nobody but us two, and Cross will ever know about."

Vincent cursed to himself. No matter how much what Zero had said to him had hurt… the prefect was suffering, and probably needed help. He had accepted his help last night… and somehow, Vincent doubted that he would allow anyone else to do so.

With a sigh, he waited until the teacher wasn't paying attention to him, and quietly got up and slunk out the door, a wry smile playing on his lips. He sure seemed to be missing a lot of class. He could feel the other student's eyes on him, but for some reason, they didn't say anything.

He ignored them, waiting until he was out the door to drop into a flat- out sprint, hoping to overtake Zero so he could at least help him to Kaien's house.

"I knew I wouldn't be able to fool you, Kaname. You always were extraordinary." Kaien pushed his glasses farther up on his nose. With Kaname here now, he was in his serious mode, processing what Kaname had to say to him. "Being able to trace a bloodline back through ancestors purely untainted by human blood… It's extremely rare amongst vampires. To have inherited the powers and abilities of the vampire ancients, creatures feared even by other vampires… The vampires within the vampires… the Purebloods." Kaien paused, readjusting his glasses. "It has been entirely due to your influence that the wilder members of the Night Class have behaved themselves up until now."

Kaname bared his teeth, tired of Cross's musings. He slammed a hand on the desk, digging his fingers into the wood, cracking and splintering it. "Chairman Cross," he hissed, "I have endured this situation this far only because of my own deep respect for you. But now, for the sake of the students, Zero must be controlled." He leaned forward, fingers digging in deeper to the desk. "Do you really intend to allow Zero to destroy everything we've worked so hard to achieve?"

Kaien ignored Kaname's show of temper, choosing to muse some more on the silver- haired prefect occupying his mind. The pureblood would eventually cool down.

"Zero's parents were killed by a vampire," he said thoughtfully, reminiscing. "It's a miracle he was saved from that sea of blood." His eyes narrowed as he stared down at his desk. What Kaname was implying, what he wanted… "There has to be another way."

Kaname leaned back slightly; Cross was right, his temper had cooled a bit. "But the one who killed his family wasn't an ordinary vampire," Kaname said coldly. "She was a pureblood- just like me." Cross didn't seem to want to accept the fact that the night Zero's family was killed, something life- altering had happened to Zero…

Zero tried to ignore the beast in his mind, raging for blood. Staggering into Cross's house as quietly as possible, since the pureblood could still be there, he slumped against the wall. His heart beat furiously, and his pupils dilated as his senses became more enhanced, taking in the smells around him, searching for blood.

Sure enough, Kuran was upstairs, along with Cross. As appealing as their blood smelt, (well, Kuran's anyways- he would die before drinking Cross's blood, he might catch the crazies) he would not lower himself to attempt to attack them. He had not fought the bloodlust for four years only to succumb to it.

Not yet.

Hit by a fresh wave, he slid down to the ground, legs shaking as he forced them not to stand up and rush to the blood that was fresh and pumping just upstairs. He clasped his hands over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the snickerings and whipserings of the beast hiding just under the surface of his skin.

The smell of an older presence long gone hit him, and the beast increased its demands, driven hungry by the smell of the alluring scent.

Vincent…

Yuuki raced across the grounds, heading towards the house she had seen Zero staggering towards. She had noticed him doing so on a few other occasions, and had been determined to finally figure out what was wrong.

She had had enough of Zero pushing everyone away- Will this continue forever…? She thought desperately as she raced towards her adoptive father's house. He pushed me away again. He still won't let me into his closed heart. It's always the same, even though I've always been the one closest to him. Zero still doesn't trust me…

She knew it was true, and that was what hurt. He was always so cold, so distant…

But not tonight. Tonight, she would finally figure out what was wrong with him, and help him, no matter what. He was her friend- she couldn't let him close himself off to everyone, and live such a lonely existence. It wasn't right.

Racing into the house, she called his name. "Zero!"

"I begged you to stay away from me…" She froze as she heard the hoarse, voice, almost unrecognizable due to the raspiness of it. "Yuuki…"

"Zero!" She whirled around, snapped from her shock by the sound of her name, almost said pleadingly.

A hand whipped up, covering her eyes and prevent her head from turning around all the way. "Don't look!" In a flash, she felt a hard, muscled body press up against her back, an arm wrapping around her waist, and a long- fingered hand coming up to grasped her chin. The scent of soap and lilacs enveloped her, although she knew who it was already. "Z… Zero…?!" She stuttered his name as something wet slid along her neck. There was a split second of confusion before what felt like a twin pair of knives slid into her neck, the shock delaying the pain for a split second.

Then, it hit, accompanied by the feel of something warm sliding down her neck, and the feel of a tongue sliding along what she now knew to be a bite. Sucking noises filled the quiet hallway as she felt the blood being drawn from her body. And all Yuuki could so was hold still, trapped by strong arms and her own confusion.

Vincent tentatively opened the door to Kaien's house, not wanting to disturb anyone if Kaien was still meeting with Kaname. He stepped through, closing the door quietly behind him.

His crimson eyes scanned the room for any sign of Zero, frowning when he didn't find the prefect. Perhaps he had made it to his room-

The smell of blood filtered into his nose, and he froze, eyes widening as he took it in. He hesitated a split second before jerking out of his frozen state and racing to where it was coming from.

His brain didn't even register the fact that it was impossible for human senses, which Vincent thought he had, to detect blood from that far away.

He rushed to the stairs, skidding to a halt as he rounded the corner, and took in the scene before him, shocked.

Zero. And Yuuki. Zero was holding Yuuki. And his head was at her neck… and Yuuki… was staring at the wall, eyes blank. And Zero… was… drinking her blood…

Drinking her blood?!

Vincent snapped out of his shock, running across the room to Zero and Yuuki, his ears finally registering the sound of slurping. Oddly, it didn't disgust him.

Reaching the two, he yanked Zero's arms off of Yuuki, pushing her out of the way right as he felt strong arms wrap around his shoulders and waist, whipping him around.

Yuuki cried out as Zero's fangs were ripped from her neck, creating a larger gash in her neck. Yuuki fell against the wall, dizzy and weak from blood loss. The room whirled around her, and she only dimly registered the sight of Zero making a grab for Vincent, his eyes glowing an even brighter red as they registered their new prey.

Her eyes slid closed, and she sunk against the wall, the impact of the hard surface on her head combined with the blood loss making her lose consciousness. So Zero… is a vampire…?! Was her last thought before her vision and mind went black.

Zero growled as his prey was ripped from him, turning on the person who had deprived him of his meal. The dark, alluring scent of the blood that had been driving him crazy reached his nose, and in the throes of his bloodlust, he was unable to help himself.

As Yuuki was pushed away from him, Zero hissed and whirled on his new prey, wrapping his arms around Vincent and pulling him flush against his body, immediately sinking his fangs into Vincent's smooth, pale neck without hesitation.

Hot, rich blood spurted into his mouth, and he had to repress a moan at the heady taste. God… it was so unlike Yuuki's… so much richer, and addictingly sweet. The dark, alluring smell flooded his senses, and an odd feeling, like a high, raced through him, making his knees weak.

Vincent froze as he was whipped around, not being able to recover before sharp, knifelike fangs sunk themselves into his neck. He let out a choked gasp as he felt the blood slowly being drawn from his body, eyes sliding shut as he tried to grasp what was going on.

A warm, wet tongue lapped against his neck, making him shudder at the intimacy of the act. The fangs in his neck shifted just barely, sending a wave of pain through his body. And yet, the pain felt… good. Excitingly good, in fact.

His eyes snapped open, but this time, they were a glowing, molten gold. The pain, and the dominating way Zero held him, the way he drank from him… It awakened hidden instincts inside of him, and unconsciously, his nails grew sharper, longer, and his canines lengthened, his front teeth becoming slightly pointed.

Sanity fled, replaced by an overwhelming need to be dominated, marked…owned, by the man holding him. Rational thought fled, being overtaken by his demonic instincts gifted to him by Chaos.

He struggled against Zero's hold, trying to break free, but the silver- haired prefect growled possessively against his neck. He would not let his new prey go, not until he had had his fill, was sated, and had marked the boy as his, safe from all others who would desire his intoxicating blood.

This blood… It was doing strange things to him. It was rich and thick, sweet with a slightly bitter undertaste, hardly noticeable. It flooded through him, causing his whole body to heat up, tingles of awareness spreading everywhere. A slow burn surged through him, part painful, part pleasurable in the feeling of power it let behind. Unknown to him, a strange, foreign chemical carried within Vincent's blood raced through him, seeping into his very bones and blood, saturating his whole being with it, altering his DNA. His grip tightened almost painfully on the boy, and Zero felt stronger than he ever had before.

He gave one last gulp before pulling away, only to throw Vincent to the ground, pinning him there as the now golden- eyed boy tried to struggle up, baring his teeth and snarling. Defiance reared in him, making him fight back- he would give in eventually, as his newly awakened instincts demanded, but the prefect would not gain dominance over him without a fight. It was what his brain was urging him to do.

Zero growled right back, grasping one of Vincent's arms to pin it above his head, rendering the claw-like nails useless. His glowing red eyes flared, a glint of green flashing a moment before he tightened his grip on Vincent's arm, making sure it wouldn't come loose. The hand he was holding curled inwards, and he snarled as the nails dug into his hand, drawing blood.

The other arm Zero ignored as it reached behind his back, claws digging into his shirt and flesh, drawing blood. As long as it didn't hinder his goals, he didn't care- and the feel of the nails in his back, marking him, leaving him with some sign of this encounter pleased and soothed the ravaging beast within him.

The silver- haired prefect hissed in part pain, part pleasure, and used his free hand to tangle in Vincent's silky black hair, jerking his head back and to the side. His lower body settled in between Vincent's legs, his heavier body weight rendering Vincent immobile.

The golden- eyed ravenette hissed as Zero's head flashed forward again, his warm tongue sliding along his neck to lap up any missed blood before sinking his fangs into the wound that he had made before, his beast inside writhing in pleasure as the thick blood flowed across his tongue again. Except this time, Vincent didn't register pain, only pleasure as the tongue caressed his skin, the feeling of blood leaving his body and fangs buried in his neck, producing that overwhelming pleasure. It gave him a heady rush that left him light- headed and his whole body heavy with ecstasy, unwilling to move.

Finally submitting to the prefect's show of dominance, he relaxed, letting his head fall back to rest against the hard wooden floor. His legs raised instinctively to wrap around Zero's waist, pulling the silver- haired man's body closer to his own. It created friction that felt amazingly, wonderfully good. He purred as he got a pleased growl in return, and a jerk of Zero's hips against his own.

Spurred on by the reaction, he arched up, rubbing his lower body against Zero's, where he could feel something hard pressing against his own crotch. It rubbed against his own starting erection, sending sparks of hot pleasure through his prone body, causing him to purr louder as his own erection hardened.

His head lifted slightly as he felt Zero's fangs shift, and he eyed the prefect's neck, something within him urging him to mark it in return- put his own claim on the man that was claiming him. Almost dazedly, he pushed his head forward, and kissed Zero's neck almost shyly, gasping as the fangs buried inside his neck went deeper, sending a surge of pleasure- pain all through his body.

Latching onto Zero's neck, he dug his sharp teeth into the flesh, hard enough to break the skin slightly. It drew forth a few droplets of blood, along with leaving an assured bruise. A small amount of Zero's blood slid down his throat, and his eyes widened in shock as he felt an unfamiliar surge within his body, a sort of pull towards the man straddling him. Zero must have felt the same thing, because he hissed against Vincent's throat, slowing his drinking to smaller gulps as if he were trying to prolong the experience.

He ground down harder with his hips, the feeling of making a bond with Vincent heightening the pleasure he was getting from drinking the intoxicatingly rich, powerful blood, and the feel of Vincent's prone body under his. He moaned lightly as he felt Vincent respond by arching up higher, tightening his thighs around Zero's waist.

Moments later, Vincent's lightheadedness began to get worse, accompanied by blurring along the edges of his vision, starting to fade black. Zero was taking too much, and it was going to make him pass out.

Displeased at the thought, he growled threateningly, digging his fingers even deeper into Zero's back. Drawing back, he bared his now- fully pointed teeth at Zero, hissing and snarling.

The sound of growling reached Zero's ears, and the displeased, threatening tone of it made Zero's fangs detach themselves from the soft, pale neck. His head lifted to bare his own teeth dominatingly at the boy, angry that he wasn't submissive. However, his anger and bloodlust cooled at the glazed look in Vincent's golden eyes.

Golden eyes…? There was only time for that shocked thought before he was yanked up from Vincent, and pushed up against the wall. His amethyst eyes widened as they met burning, furious russet eyes that were on the verge of turning bright red.

"Humans bitten by a pureblood become vampires themselves!" Kaname yelled.

Kaien simply closed his eyes, bowing his head in acknowledgement of Kaname's words. "I know that, Kaname," Kaien said patiently. "I know that Zero wasn't bitten by a normal vampire. I know that she was a pureblood." And… I know what fate will befall Zero eventually. And it pains me to see him suffer.

Kaname stood back up, his temper fully reigned in. Quietly, he said, "Once a pureblood bites a human, there are only two possible outcomes. If they're lucky, the blood is toxic enough to kill them. If not, then they must endure the agony of a slow transformation until they themselves turn into a vampire. It's a torture such as any other vampire cannot imagine." HE sighed, choosing his next words carefully. "Although Zero will never be human again… to have suppressed his instincts for four long years- it took more strength than I will ever be able to comprehend." As much as he loathed complimenting his rival, it was true. Most vampires would have given up, fallen to level E by now. For Zero not to fall… it was incredible, and admirable.

Suddenly, the smell of blood came to his nose, and frowned, trying to identify it.

"Kaname? What's wrong?" Kaien's worried voice reached his ears.

He sniffed, trying to figure out whose it was, and where it was coming from. "I can smell blood…"

Finally, he was able to recognize the scents of the blood, and he stiffened as he recognized them. Yuuki's he recognized… along with Zero's… but for some reason, It was not Yuuki's spilled blood that made him furious- it was the smell of Vincent's spilled blood that did.

Hot possessiveness and anger came over him, and before Cross could ask any questions, he flashed out of the room, using his vampire speed to take him to where the blood had been spilt.

Takuma raised his head from the sheet of math problems he had been working on, sniffing the air. Around him, the other vampires of the Night Class did the same, freezing as they scented the smell of blood in the air.

Takuma felt a flash of worry go through him at the first smell of Yuuki's blood- had something happened to her? Then, the smell of Zero's blood hit him, making him stand up, and attempt to locate it. Something must have happened to the prefects if both of their blood had been spilt.

He turned to his lover, sitting next to him. "Senri, do you smell-"

He froze as the smell of a third person's blood reached him, unmistakable in its sweet smell. He breathed in the air deeply, knowing Senri was doing the same. It was Vincent's blood, he knew. No one else had blood that smelled quite like his.

Alone, Vincent had always smelled wonderfully good, if not a bit odd because of the fact that he smelled so appealing. Of course, he preferred Senri's smell, but the blood and scent of a vampire's lover and partner/mate was always especially good to them, no matter their level.

The smell of blood always rattled the Night Class, since it had been so long since many of them had tasted fresh blood, choosing to drink blood tablets instead. But Vincent's blood…

Now that the tempting, alluring scent was in the air, invading their senses, it was like a drug, clouding their thoughts and judgment.

As a whole, the Night Class stood and rushed to the door, intent on finding out where the smell was coming from.

Ah, need a new name for this story- current one's lame. Maybe when there's not so many things going on in the Realm...