Chapter 11

"I'll be back, Yuki," Kaname promised from the bottom of the stairwell. He'd been called for a meeting with the council, I nodded-not looking at my fiancé's face. I felt the air shift and knew that he had moved toward me. His finger slipped underneath my chin; he tilted my head up and pecked my lips lightly. "I promise," He rested his forehead on mine and looked into my eyes for a minute. A horn blew outside. My eyes widened.

"They sent someone to pick you up?" I felt panic wash through me; a memory of this morning coming into my mind:

I sat at the vanity and ran the deep red brush through my long brown hair as I waited for my love to come back into the room. I stared into the mirror and watched the brush as it ran through my hair. I could sense him before I could hear the door creaking open.

"It's still odd," I spoke, "Seeing myself like this." I stared at the changes that had occurred. Kaname rested his hands on my shoulders.

"You're beautiful," He kissed the top of my head. I smiled and decided to tease him:

"And I wasn't before?" Kaname smiled. I gasped as he spun me around. His lips met mine; he poured all of his feeling into the kiss, but I was to shocked to respond. He pulled away with a smile on his face.

"You will always be beautiful no matter what form you take," He whispered in my ear. I blushed as he leaned away from me. He laughed gently.

"Even after so much time together, you still blush," He ran his thumb over my reddened cheeks. My blush only darkened. "I regret to have to leave." My eyes widened and my mouth fell open.

'He's leaving me…' I couldn't help but think, my mind instantly thinking the worst. Before I could ask what I had done, he placed his finger gently over my lips.

"I've been called to a meeting," He removed his finger from my lips and traced my jaw, "I would be delighted if you could come, but the council doesn't need to know of you yet. You are still inexperienced in this life."

"They don't know about you yet," He kissed me again, "it's just a precaution." I could hear the parts he was leaving out: They didn't know if he would actually show. "I must say, I wish they could never find out about you." He kissed me once more, "Because that way, I would have you to myself always."

"You already do," I pecked his lips lightly. The horn blew once again. Kaname glared toward the door in annoyance; I giggled lightly. "You'll be back, remember? I'm not going anywhere."

He smiled at me and said, "You better not be," then turned to walk out of the door. I touched my tingling lips lightly. A blush rose to my face as a cerished memory entered my head:

Kaname lay behind me, playing with my hair-still tangled from sleep. One arm was wrapped around my waist tightly. I looked back at him as he began to speak:

"I waited ten years to have you back in my arms like this...and now that you're here, I'm afraid that I will wake up to find that this is a dream and I'll be back in my bed at Cross Academy."

"Shall I show you that you are very much awake?" I asked as I turned my body toward him. I didn't wait for an answer, instead I leaned foward. His eyes slid closed when I was but a breathe away from his lips. I kissed them lightly and bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw a bead of blood; he hissed. I cleaned the wound that my fangs had made.

"What a cruel way to assure me that I am awake," He spoke, his eyes now glowing crimson, "However I can't help but return the favor to you, my love." I felt a shiver run down my spine as his lips brushed my neck. His fangs sunk gently into my neck. After many minutes, he pulled away from my neck. He looked toward the window and then smiled back toward me, "I'll be back, Yuki." He untangled himself from me and walked out of our bedroom door.

"So what do I do now?" I questioned myself as I heard the engine start and Kaname's ride pull away.

"You are still inexperienced in this life."

Kaname's words came into my mind once more. I bit my bottom lip and walked down the stairs-into the living room. My eyes landed on the bookshelf. I began to walk toward it.

"Well," I said aloud, "Let's see what I can learn."

My fingers skimmed over the roughly encraved titles. One book caught my eye. It had no title; the book itself was black letter. I pulled the large book out of the shelf and opened it to the first page.

"The Kuran history?" I read the title aloud, then turned the aged page. I walked toward the couch cradling the book gently in my hand.

"The name Kuran dates back to 710 A.D," I read, the hand writing was elegant. I laid down on the couch and began to read.

After many hours of reading the book, I sensed him. My body began to tense. I set the book down-still open-on the coffee table with the spine up. I stood from the chair and turned toward him.

"I didn't think he would leave you alone," He spoke from the living room frame, "But apparently I was wrong."

"Zero," I couldn't stop from breathing.

"Does he value you that little?" He questioned as he kicked off the frame and stepped toward me. He stood over me. Finally I found my voice:

"How did you find me?" I questioned. He smiled at me slowly.

"You would be amazed at how quickly a vampire will turn on another when threatened," He raised his hand to my cheek and his eyes hardened, "Did you not think that I would be angry," His tone fell, "And hurt to be only left with a note?"

"I wanted to say goodbye to you properly…but Kaname was convinced…" I trailed off as he smiled.

"That I would kill you?" He finished for me; I nodded. He smiled sadly, "Does he think that little of me as well? Tell me, Yuki, did you believe that I would kill you as well or did you really not want to see me?" I shook my head quickly.

"No! I fought with him! I begged to be able to see you; to give you the goodbye you deserved!" I could feel the tears stinging my eyes. "Did the chairman tell you?" I whispered. "What I asked him too? Did he tell you that I love you?" He nodded. A gasp escaped my lips as he pulled me to him; my body crashed into his and his arms closed around me tightly. The tears fell from my eyes freely now.

'Kaname…' A feeling of guilt ran through me. 'I'm such a horrible fiancé. Why do you love me? Can't you see I'm not good for you?' The tears ran from my eyes harder now. Even though all it was, was a simple hug-I could feel the meaning behind it. 'Zero loves me…in a more deeper, more romantic way…' The tears only seemed to come more. 'I'm sorry…Zero…Kaname…he has my heart…he always has…ever since the beginning. I hate hurting you…both of you…'

My eyes widened as another presence came rushing toward the manor; he stepped away from me as he felt it too. The cold wind blew through my hair and chilled my tear streaked face as Kaname entered the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Zero's eyes harden with hatred and anger as Kaname and he stared at each other.

"You are trespassing in my home," Kaname's voice was cold, "Zero." I felt panic and fear crash through me as I read the look in his eyes.

'A murderous gleam…'