Do not cry. My father's sad eyes met my gaze as he leaned into the cab. Tears filled my own eyes from the pain of missing him. I now wondered if he had felt the same, or if his sadness stemmed from the burden of knowing just where he was sending me off to. I sat up in a wide, lush bed under a thick white comforter. I lifted a hand to my neck and sighed in relief after feeling no wounds or blood. Maybe I had dreamt it. The room was barren other than the extravagant bed I slept on, which had billows of lace flowing from a canopy above me, along with a wooden desk, a plain wardrobe and my luggage dropped onto the floor near the door. The door creaked open and I quickly sat up in the bed. "You fainted," Reiji informed as he walked in, pausing at my side. "Are you malnourished? Ill?"
I shook my head no, not wanting to reveal the reason until I was sure it hadn't been my imagination. "Why..." I began quietly. "Why am I here?"
"You stated it yourself, Yui," Reiji responded with little care. "The church sent you. It's all according to their wishes."
"Yes, but why?" I persisted.
Reiji's brow twitched as he glared down at me. "Asking unimportant questions is unbecoming of a lady," he snipped. "Being raised by the church, I would have assumed you'd have better etiquette. But I suppose throughout the years they've gotten weak." He leaned towards me, pressing his hands onto the bed. His face darkened. "But, in this house, I demand obedience in all things. Manners especially." His hands clenched the bed covers.
"Y- yes," I whispered, my mind flashing back to the constant reprimanding that I had received from the church year after year.
"I will make one thing clear, Yui. This is our home and you are our guest. That is what your church intended," Reiji leaned back and smoothed his suit. "If you behave and do as you are told," he continued, "you may just live." I sat in silence, not knowing how to respond. "Get yourself presentable and then come down for dinner. If you are not downstairs within ten minutes, I will come fetch you and there will be dire consequences." He turned and left, not waiting for a response. My hands shook as they gripped the comforter. My gaze met with a small window along the wall to my left. It would be tight, but I could squeeze through if I truly had to. I made a mental note as I pulled the sheets off of me and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I would first have to find a phone to contact my father. If I left now, I would only find myself lost. For now, I would have to follow along.
After some searching, I found myself in a wide dining room and I sat at a long table with a plate of food in front of me. Ayato was sitting by my side with Laito in between us. Shu and Reiji sat across from us. I gazed down at my full plate of assorted veggies, sliced steak and roasted potatoes, but my appetite had left my body the second I had left the cab. I peered up to a glass that sat just behind the plate. It was filled to the brim with a red liquid. My fingers twitched as I wondered… "Cranberry juice," Reiji said, answering my unasked question. "It aids in preventing anemia."
"Oh!" My brows raised at the sudden generosity. "Thank you," I smiled as I lifted the glass.
Before the cup reached my lips, Reiji continued, "You must drink at least one serving per day." I paused, glancing up at him. "Blood loss can cause complications fairly quickly when you are not diligent." I swiftly placed the cup back down without taking a sip.
"Hmm, kitten," Laito reached over to me, noticing my hesitation. "Are you not hungry?" His finger twirled itself through a lock of my hair. "I'll feed you if you ask nicely. But only if you feed me, as well," he snickered. Ayato noisily stabbed a piece of steak with his fork.
"Enough," Reiji ordered before Laito clicked his tongue and pulled away from me. I shuffled the food around on my plate in uncomfortable silence as the unbothered men surrounding me continued eating.
The sound of a chair scratching against tile echoed throughout the room as Shu pushed away from the table and stood. "What a waste of time," he muttered, walking towards the door, leaving his plate untouched.
"Good for nothing," Reiji hissed while Shu was still within hearing distance. "After we went through all the trouble of setting up this dinner," he continued as Shu walked out of the room. Reiji turned to me, "Yui." I instinctively jumped to attention and straightened my posture. "There is a uniform in your bedroom wardrobe. You will change into it after dinner to attend classes."
"Uh, oh," My father had mentioned continuing my studies during my stay. "Is it not... a little late in the day for lessons?" I could hear Laito chuckle to my side.
"We attend a night school. I will not allow your mind to rot. Anything less than the best marks will be highly disappointing."
I investigated the uniform, now back in my room. It consisted of a white collared polo shirt and a pleated plaid skirt that would come down to just above my knees. I lifted the dress I was currently wearing up over my stomach and then turned to look over my shoulder as I heard a step behind me. "I didn't expect to have such great timing," Laito grinned. I started pulling the dress back down, but he grasped it and pulled it the rest of the way off and over my head.
"W- wait!" I shrieked, clawing at the fabric to hold onto it. But he successfully tossed it down at our feet and, when I crossed my arms at my chest, he looked me over and sighed.
"Kitten, do you have a crush on me? Your flustered face is just too damn cute!" He pulled my body into a hug. "Makes me wanna eat you right up."
"Er," I grunted, trying to break free. "No, I- I do not!"
"I can feel your pulse quickening, kitten. I know you're excited," Laito whispered as he breathed deeply against my hair. "Don't worry, you excite me, too." Laito paused briefly. He pushed me away from his chest and scanned my body again. My face flushed red. "Ayato really is so mean. Claiming you for himself and all. You don't want that, right, Yui?" His hands gripped my shoulders, keeping me in place. I quickly shook my head no before Laito let out a gasp, "I knew it! So you want me to take you instead, then?" His face reddened as he laughed, "That's so forward of you! So bold!"
"Y- you misunderstand," I stammered, my head feeling light. I had learned a lot from my father and from the church, but never how one should act in this type of situation.
"Tsk tsk, kitten. No taking it back now," Laito smirked as his hand trailed from my shoulder to my collarbone. "Don't worry, I think you and I could have a lot of fun together," he promised, his fingers brushing over my skin.
A knock on the door caught Laito's attention. "You have five minutes or we will leave without you, Yui," Reiji's voice demanded from outside the room.
Laito sighed and turned back to me. "Oh well," he released his grip and I immediately bent down to grab my dress and cover myself with it. "We have all the time in the world, I suppose," he chuckled as he walked towards the door.
Hopefully not, I thought.
I sat at a desk in a fairly empty classroom. We had all arrived at the school together, but in the time it took me to step out of the vehicle, mostly everyone had gone their own ways, leaving just Reiji and myself. "You and Ayato are in the same year," Reiji had told me. I traced invisible patterns onto the desk with my finger as I remembered. My eyes shifted to my left where Ayato now sat. His head laid in his arms, bent over onto the desk. "He will be keeping an eye on you. Do remember that you now represent our family and are not free to do as you please. Promptly meet us back here after the end of day bell."
I had only spotted a handful of other students as I walked through the school's halls. And the ones I did pass by seemed to keep their distance after seeing who I had arrived with. Ayato shifted slightly in his chair. Other than us, there were two students that chatted with each other towards the front of the room. The chalkboard in front of them read 'Food Prep:' and under today's date, 'Fried Rice.' Under tomorrow's date, "Takoyaki," I read aloud to myself.
Ayato's head lifted to look at the board. Then he turned to me. "Oi, c'mere," he waved.
"No way," I hissed back.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue as he stood and stomped over, bumping against desks, and grabbed my arm. As I briefly glanced at the other students, I could tell they were avoiding looking towards us, not wanting to get involved.
Ayato pulled me out of my chair. "Ay- Ayato!" I yelled before he began dragging me out of the room and down the hall. "Class is about to start!"
"We're ditchin'!" Ayato grinned back at me, his face beaming. "Just shut up and follow me," he ordered as he led me into a new room at the end of the hall. There was a small kitchen along the wall inside, as well as a table and a handful of chairs next to it. Ayato shut the door behind us and took a seat. "Takoyaki," he said simply.
"Wh- what? Like, make it?" I asked, dumbfounded at his demand.
"Yours Truly just gave you an order," he retorted as he propped his head up with his hand, elbow on the table, and yawned. "Jus' tell me when you're done." Like a spoiled child, Ayato had heard me say something he wanted, and without a second thought, brought me to a break room to deliver on an unmade promise. His eyes fell closed. I sighed in defeat and, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, made my way to the fridge to check for ingredients.
"Mmmm, delicious!" Ayato exclaimed, popping another ball of dough into his mouth. "Yeah, yeah, super good," he went on, eating a third and fourth "Try it!" He held one up to my mouth. "Ahhhh," he opened his mouth, demonstrating what he wanted me to do.
"Ahhhh," I mimicked as he plopped it in. It was still fresh and warm. "Mmm, yes. It's very tasty," I agreed. "Now we have to do all these dishes, though... We really have to hurry or I'll be late for my next class." Yamada leaned back in his chair, balancing it on its two back legs. "I'll just do it," I mumbled, turning my back to him. "Reiji said I have to keep up my marks. This isn't a great start. We can't do this every-"
"Still hungry," Ayato muttered, standing from his chair.
"Well, I can't make any more!" I snipped, glancing back over my shoulder. Ayato was much closer suddenly. His hands rested on the counter, his arms on either side of me. "Wha, um, Ayato," I turned to face him.
"Didn't I say somethin' about 'next time'?" Ayato grinned as he lifted my chin with his finger.
My hands clenched. How could I have been so naive? Going to school, sneaking out for snacks, worrying about grades- none of that mattered. "You, you can't-"
"Yours Truly," Ayato interrupted, "Will do whatever he wants." His hand gripped my shoulder to keep me in place as his other hand brushed my hair away from my neck. I could feel goosebumps form on my skin.
"P- please, don't," I whimpered.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure it hurts. That's what 'ya like, right?" Ayato asked as he leaned down. Before I could think to respond, his lips brushed the skin on my neck and I felt his tongue slide across. And then there was a slight pressure from his teeth. I opened my mouth to shout, but no voice came out. And then, like a knife, his fangs pierced into my neck.
"Urrgh," I groaned from the pain. Just like he promised, it had stung. I could feel fire shooting down my entire shoulder. Ayato kept his fangs buried beneath the skin's surface. No blood was coming out yet, stopped by the invasion, but he sucked at the wound and I could feel the blood gathering and inflaming the area. After Ayato leaned back slightly to release the pressure, I could see in my peripheral vision, blood trickling down my skin. My body shook, not just from the pain, but from fear.
"Ahhhhh," he breathed out after noisily licking up the spilled blood and then gathered me into his arms and exclaimed, "Holy shit. Your blood..." he panted at my ear, "I feel so awake!" He tilted my head to the side and licked at my neck again, catching escaping drops. "Yeah, I can get used to this," he chuckled. My legs grew weak and my knees buckled, but before I reached the ground, Ayato caught me. "Humans are so pathetic," he laughed as he lifted me back up and threw me over his shoulder. "Just a lil' bite and you're already like this?"
"Stop... Please," I just hardly got the words out. Ayato tossed me down into one of the chairs and I let my arms lay limp at my sides. The muscles in my neck and shoulders were burning hot. I could only sit there in disbelief.
"There's no way I can stop now, idiot." Ayato stood over me and as he bent down to take more, my vision blurred. He licked over the wound after another satisfied sigh. "I knew you'd like it," Ayato murmured, looking down at me, his face serious. His mouth then met my lips, his tongue pressing them open. I tasted iron. It wasn't sweet. It was bitter and harsh. His tongue pressed against the soft insides of my cheeks, spreading my blood fully inside of my mouth.
"Hah," I gasped as Ayato leaned back and gripped my hair, pulling my head back so that our eyes met.
"If 'ya don't stop it with that face, I obviously won't be able to help myself, idiot," he mumbled between his own heavy breathing.
"So this is where you two were," a voice came from the now open door to our side. Ayato rolled his eyes and let go of my hair, letting my head drop. "I didn't think you would do such a thing on school property, Ayato. How vulgar."
"Yeah, yeah, Reiji," Ayato placed his hand on my shoulder, his fingers brushing over the wound on my neck. "We were just makin' a snack." My eyelids fell closed as I felt myself slipping from the chair.
"You obviously went too far. Take responsibility and bring her home," I heard Reiji order.