Chapter Seven:

Yuki tried her hardest to fight her brain from getting tired, but she eventually made her way to the large bed in Kaname's enormous room. She folded herself up in the sheets and curled into a tight ball, hoping he would return soon. It must have been at least an hour by now, and she hadn't even heard footsteps outside. She didn't even hear a floorboard creak. It was almost as if she was alone in this giant house, although she knew that was far from the truth.

She considered getting out from under the covers and stepping outside to look for him, but the safety of Kaname's bedroom seemed more secure than roaming the halls of an unknown house full of blood-sucking creatures… She almost felt bad thinking of vampires as creatures, since her beautiful nighttime visitor was one of them, but apart from him, the other vampires she'd met so far scared the life out of her. Even Idou made her heart race now, and the Level E that attacked her made her rethink her overall opinion of the red-eyed people. Simply put, some wouldn't hurt her, but all of them could be dangerous.

Although Kaname had told her that her father knew where she was, Yuki still sent a quick text message to him, just in case he was bluffing. She knew he wouldn't lie about something like that, but she also wanted to tell him herself that she wouldn't be home tonight. So far, her father hadn't replied. She clutched her phone to her chest and rolled onto her back, staring at the top of the bedframe. She couldn't see the ceiling past the curtains tied up around the bed and over the top of it. Everything was still just a dark red. She supposed it made sense, because of the blood and all…

It wasn't dark enough for Yuki to be able to fall asleep, so all she could do was relax and wait for Kaname to finish whatever business had showed up for him. Something about… a Senate? She didn't remember quite clearly enough, but he did say he would be back when he was finished.

The idea of Kaname going back to work brought up thoughts of that other vampire… Ruka—She couldn't get the woman's name out of her head now. Kaname said that vampires feed on each other in order to not have to feed on humans sometimes, and she found herself getting a little hot. He'd bit her once, the first time they kissed. He'd bit her and drank a couple drops from her lips, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to actually have him bite her and drink her blood. After all, vampires needed blood to survive, right? Kaname would always have to drink blood, so why couldn't it be hers?

She sighed, thinking she must be crazy. Now she was fantasizing about being bitten by a vampire and having her blood sucked out of her neck… That was insane. No normal human would ever think that if they were confronted with such a predator. It just felt so different because it was Kaname. He was her Kaname. Her nighttime guardian angel.

She slowly began to wonder if their bond affected her, too. Maybe she felt this way about the blood sucking because he was bonded to her. Maybe she only loved him because of that, too…

Her phone buzzed and she saw it was a reply from her father—"Thank you for letting me know." That was all. It was strange for him to not ask any questions, like where she was, or who she was with… But at least she told him.

She crossed her hands over her chest as she lay there, staring at the bed's wispy curtains above her. Her half-empty teacup was still on the coffee table in the center of the room, probably cold by now… She sighed. This was taking way too long. And as always, Kaname gave her no information. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood, feeling around for her shoes. She slipped them on and headed for the door. But when she turned the knob and creaked open the large wooden door, a familiar woman stood there—It was the pale vampire who served her the tea. She didn't even turn to look at Yuki.

"You are not to leave this room, My Lady," she said tersely.

"Uhm… But I want to walk around."

"My apologies. Lord Kaname's orders."

She frowned. "Orders?"

"Yes, My Lady. He requested that you remain in his quarters until he returns."

She inhaled slowly and then exhaled, not liking the feeling of being a prisoner here. "Well… I know that he gives orders to the vampires in this house, but I don't take orders from Kaname."

"Lord Kaname," she grunted, but Yuki just frowned again.

"He's… just Kaname to me."

"Humans," the thin woman scowled under her breath, and then turned to face her. Yuki jumped a little. Even though the young woman was short and thin, Yuki could see the vampire in her eyes, and knew this woman could be dangerous, even to a full-grown man. "Lord Kaname has instructed me to keep you in here until he returns from his work. You may not leave."

"I'm not staying in that room anymore—"

"Yuki, calm down."

At the sound of his sad, angelic voice, the pale, thin vampire turned and bowed low.

"Thank you, Seiren. You may go." And with that, the woman disappeared, leaving Yuki face-to-face with her perfect vampire man. "You look a bit pale, Yuki. Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine. How was your work?"

Kaname frowned. "Are you tired? Or hungry maybe? I was going to go into the city to get some food if you'd like to join me." He held out his hand, and as if on cue, Yuki's traitor stomach growled. The last time she ate was on lunch break back at school. She gently reached out and took his hand, consciously noting how he avoided yet another one of her questions.

"Did you… drink more of that woman's blood? Is that why you don't want to tell me about your work?"

"Don't be silly, Yuki," he sighed, lifting her hand to his lips. He closed his eyes and kissed the back of her hand. "It was a meeting with members of the vampire Senate."

"What did you talk about?"

"Things that wouldn't interest you. Vampire politics, so to speak."

"How do you know it wouldn't interest me if I've never heard about it before?"

He sighed again and lowered her hand to his side. "You don't have to be jealous of Ruka."

"Jealous?" she spat out, trying to forget that she'd just been fantasizing about him biting her and drinking from her neck instead of that vampire woman's. "I'm not jealous."

"I would much rather have your blood than anyone else's, Yuki. But now isn't the time to talk about such things. Let's go get you something to eat. You're pale and I don't want you fainting on me."

"You… would rather have mine…?" she slowly asked, but he just shook his head, as if he wasn't going to make a comment about it anymore. She really wished he would say more…

Yuki gulped as she took one step forward, the moment before he started leading her down the hall. He was still wearing his dark, button-down shirt, with the first few buttons undone, exposing his sculpted collarbone and neck. His skin was flawless, and even that was an understatement. His jawline curved below his smooth lips, and she stared at them for another moment.

"Hm?" Kaname paused and turned back to her when her feet wouldn't move, and she quickly looked away from him, feeling her face heat up. "Come now, Yuki," he purred, grabbing her other hand and stepping so his body was directly in front of hers. She looked up at his red eyes just as he stepped forward, pushing her back against the wall and pinning her arms to her sides. He leaned down and grazed her throat with his lips, coming up into her hair as she shivered from his cool breath on her skin.

"Of course I would rather have your blood than any others'." He lifted her hands to either side of her head, holding them there. She felt dead as a ragdoll, and yet her heart beat faster than a snare drum.

"Kaname," she whispered, her knees feeling weak.

"You have nothing to worry about," he whispered back, his lips dragging along her ear. She shivered when she felt his tongue graze her there. "I'm all yours." Then he released her arms and gently placed a kiss on her cheek. "Now, what would you like to eat?"

"A…Anything is fine," she mumbled, still in a blissful haze. She heard him chuckle before he took her hand again and lead her to the stairs.

"Watch your step. Don't fall."

"I won't…"

Outside, a limousine waited for them, and Kaname held the door open for her. But as she stepped inside and turned her head to thank him, she saw them… the vampires in the mansion were standing at the front door, staring at her. Some had their arms crossed. Others were shaking their heads in disapproval. That woman—Ruka—stood in the second-floor window, watching her with an unknown expression—a strange mix of sadness and anger, maybe… Even Idou stood with the others in the doorway, but he looked awfully concerned. And before she could ask Kaname why they were all there, he closed the limo's door and started walking around the vehicle. A driver sat in the front seat and a slightly tinted window separated him from the rest of the car.

"Do you like it?" Kaname asked, stepping into the limo from the other side. It took her a moment to realize he was talking about the car, and then she just nodded.

"Why were they all watching us leave?" she finally asked, about ten minutes into the drive.

"Who?"

"Idou and the other vampires."

"Probably because I rarely leave. The only times I'm not there are when I'm away on business," he paused, "And on nights I would come to you, of course. They aren't used to me leaving, especially at this time of the day. The sun hasn't set, yet."

"They looked upset..."

Kaname turned to look out the window of the limo but didn't respond. Something was off. She could tell by the way his eyes dropped and he stayed silent. She was starting to learn a few of his tells, slowly but surely.

"Kaname?"

"Yes, Yuki?"

"Why would they be upset?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"I want to know." Yuki pursed her lips. He was doing it again—the thing where he deviated from her questions and never answered her properly.

"I'll tell you when the time is right."

"Tell me now."

He let out a slow sigh. "…Yuki."

"The more you avoid the question, the more I want to know."

"I know…" he sighed again.

She slid over to sit beside him instead of across the car and he finally looked at her again. Yuki raised her hand and gently placed it against the side of his face. Kaname blinked a few times, surprised, but then relaxed into her hand. She wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, but it felt right. She gently stroked his cheek with her thumb, and he closed his eyes and exhaled.

"They're concerned," he finally said. His voice was soft, and his eyes stayed closed. "They only know that you are special to me. Not the reason why… Although I'm sure they can sense it, subconsciously. Takuma and Idou may have guessed it already. But all they see is the lord of vampires leaving with a human, and it worries them."

"Why?"

He opened his eyes, but they stayed lidded and locked with hers. "My kind aren't in the habit of being companions with humans. Or interacting with them at all, if we can help it. Unless we're in need of blood, but recently we've been needing human blood less and less."

"Because you… drink from other vampires?"

He cupped his hand over hers on his cheek and sighed again. "I will not drink from her again, Yuki. I promise you."

"I-I didn't mean—"

"It's all right. I don't want to do anything to upset you."

Yuki wanted to deny that it upset her, but instead she just stared back into his eyes. He cared for her, and she knew it with all her heart. Even if he was difficult at times, there was no denying how much he cared. "Thank you," she finally whispered.

He leaned forward and gently placed his lips on hers. The kiss was tender and soft, and he pulled away too fast.

"So, none of them know that you… that we…" she trailed off, forgetting how to describe the bond she shared with Kaname.

"I'm sure they think about it, considering the scent you give off. But it's so unlikely that the bond happens between a pureblood and a human, that they probably won't believe it unless they're told it's the truth. All they know is that you are important to me, and that's all that matters."

"I think some of them… don't like me," she trailed off and looked down, lowering her hand to her lap.

"That would only be because they don't understand. From their perspective, I am their king, and you are a mere human who, for whatever reason, is receiving special treatment from me."

"And that's a bad thing?" she asked, her eyes still lowered. She felt him move beside her until his fingers were under her chin. He lifted her face and their eyes locked again.

"It's just unusual. Humans are normally kept in vampire dens as either entertainment or blood. Again, they simply don't understand who you are to me."

"Then why don't you tell them?"

Sadness entered his eyes and Yuki regretted asking. She hated when he looked at her that way, like something was hurting him. She wanted to protect him when he had that look in his eyes.

"For now, it's best if no one knows about our bond."

"Why?"

"It could be… dangerous for you."

"For me? Why?"

"Because of who I am."

"I don't understand…"

"Yuki…" he sighed again, and she sensed some exasperation. His eyes closed again, as if he didn't want to see her in that moment. "Please, let's talk about this another time. I've answered many of your questions tonight."

She frowned, remembering the bothered looks she got from the vampires as they disappeared into the distance. "I'm just worried."

"You don't have to worry." He brought his lips close to hers. "I will never let anything happen to you." He softly grazed his lips on hers and breathed. Yuki breathed him in and leaned forward to kiss him harder. He was as solid as a statue whenever she pushed on him, but he responded just as eagerly, parting his lips.

She could feel her face getting hot as he slowly moved his arm up and around her, and when he put pressure on her body, she let him lower her back to the seat. He broke the kiss for a moment to hover over her, taking a long look at her face. She knew she was red, but she couldn't look away.

"Kaname," she breathed, and he smiled at her—only slightly, but she saw it—before his lips met hers again. "I love you," she whispered, but as soon as the words left her lips, she froze. Of course, it was the truth, and it felt like the right thing to say, but it still startled her. She opened her eyes and looked into Kaname's.

"You are the reason my heart beats," he whispered back, wrapping his arms tightly around her on the long seat. Their legs hung over the edge, but he held her in his arms. "I don't know how I ever lived without you." He moved his lips through her hair and kissed her forehead.

They stayed like that for a while, feeling each other's lungs rise and fall as easily as the bumps in the road. Yuki raised her arms up and wrapped them around her vampire guardian. His body seemed to relax as she grazed her fingers along his sides and over his back. She wanted to feel every part of him. She wanted to know every bump and bruise, every muscle and every bone. She wanted to memorize how his skin felt against her fingertips on every part of his body. And he just breathed with her, enjoying every touch.

"So," she sheepishly grinned, "You being out with a human… is like… something special?"

He raised his head to look at her beneath him. "Anything I do with you is special to me, Yuki."

"Yea but… vampires don't normally go out to dinner with humans, right?"

He chuckled and sat upright. He placed a hand under her shoulder and rolled her up to his chest. He held her there, putting his lips back in her hair. The scent of her shampoo was soothing and all he wanted was to keep breathing her in. "No, Yuki. Vampires don't engage with humans in this way."

"So… this is like a date," she said, but with a slight question behind it and he chuckled again.

"If that is what you wish, this can be a date."

She looked towards the floor of the car. "And… is that what you wish, too, Kaname?"

He waited until the silence filled the car, and Yuki had to finally look back up at him. He smiled sadly at her again. "I wish I could sit in this car with you forever and forget the world around us."

"Me too…"

Yuki jumped when her phone buzzed in her back pocket. It was late for anyone to be calling her. She pulled it out and saw a text from her father. It read— "Don't come home tomorrow. It's not safe at the house anymore. Stay with Kaname. I'll text you when I can." She re-read it over a few times before looking up at Kaname.

"What is it?" he asked, reading the concern in her eyes. But before she could answer him, he pulled the phone from her hands and read her father's message. His eyes narrowed and he banged on the window between the back of the limo and the driver's seat. "Turn around! We're going home."

"What's going on…" Yuki felt the car make a sharp turn and start heading in the opposite direction. "How does my father know who you are?"

"I introduced myself to Kaien Cross many years ago. He's aware of our situation."

"Wait—what? My father knows about you? About… us?"

"Of course."

Yuki blinked a few times, as if of course wasn't a real answer to her question. Her father knew… this whole time… he knew about vampires? He knew about the bond she shared with Kaname? And he never said a word to her about it… Was that possible? Did he know about the Level E's? Did he know about the nighttime visits? Oh, god…

"He knows I'll keep you safe."

"But if it's not safe at the house—"

"Kaien can handle himself. You don't need to worry about him. I'll send someone over to check on him if that would make you feel more at ease."

"He can handle himself?" she asked in disbelief. "He's my dad! If he gets hurt… Oh, my god. Is it a vampire? If he gets hurt because of me… or worse…"

"Yuki, calm down. Your father will be fine."

"How do you know? How could you possibly know?"

Kaname placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kaien Cross is the most capable Vampire Hunter I've ever known. He's not in any danger."

"…What?!"