Yuuki woke with a start. Two slim hands automatically flew to her stomach. She couldn't feel the fluttering. She couldn't feel her child!
Her breaths started coming in quick pants. She raised one hand to cover her mouth to repress the need to vomit.
'It's okay,' she thought to herself. 'He's not always moving. Your baby is fine. As soon as you feed you'll feel him move. There's nothing to worry about. He's fine.' With each repetition, unconsciously referring to the baby as a he, Yuuki gradually brought her breathing under control. No longer worried for the baby's safety, she could think about herself.
Her throat was burning. How long had it been since she drank? Given the fierceness which with her throat felt like it was one fire, Yuuki guessed she had been unconscious for several hours, probably close to twelve. No matter how hard she willed them retract, her fangs stubbornly remained.
She felt dizzy and light-headed, a combination of her lack of blood and whatever Yori had slipped into her wine to knock her out.
'Yori!' the Pureblood vampire jackknifed it a sitting position.
What had her best friend done to her? And why? Why would Yori kidnapped her? How did Yori kidnap her when Aidou was in the room? Had she done something to him, too?
Yuuki could feel tears coming to her eyes. If Yori hurt Aidou it would be her fault, because the Aristocrat was there to protect her.
The brunette shook her head forcefully. She couldn't think like that now. She had to escape. To find blood, or she would weaken and waste away and then she would never get out. She had to act now while she still had the energy.
Yuuki turned critical eyes to take in the room around her. There was absolutely no light, but that was no concern for a vampire. She could see each detail in the room as well as if it was lit.
She was in a rather luxurious cell. She had been resting on a soft mattress, and when she swung her bare feet over the edge and set them on the ground, Yuuki felt a soft, velvet plush carpet. Unbelievably enough, there was a mini fridge in the opposite corner of the bed.
The woman crossed the cell in seven long strides and knelt beside the appliance. A blast of refrigerated air hit her when she opened the door. Yuuki hadn't realized how warm her cell was until she had opened the fridge, and proceeded to open and close it a few more times.
The only content of the mini fridge was metal thermoses. Rows of them, stacked neatly. A quick count told her that there were twenty-four total. Yuuki lifted one and gave it a curious shake. It was heavy and viscous. She looped a finger through the top and unscrewed it.
The scent of blood washed over her and she was guzzling the contents of the thermos before she could think. She threw it to the side and drained a second and third thermos.
Thirst sated temporarily, Yuuki returned to the provided bed. She found herself able to think more clearly now that part of her wasn't focused on finding blood. While she was glad that whoever had taken her wasn't going to leave her to starve, Yuuki shivered at the idea of drinking the cold blood again.
When it didn't come fresh from a human or another vampire, it tasted flat and lifeless.
Now to put her brain to answering the questions her panicked mind had come up with.
Yori had betrayed her. The human had drugged her, and Aidou too, most likely, and delivered her here. The only person Yori could give Yuuki to would be Sara, which beggared the question, how did Yori get involved with the Pureblood and why did she force her to kidnap Yuuki?
The latter was rather obvious. With his pregnant fiancée in her dungeons, Sara had leverage against Kaname. Her brother wouldn't hesitate to do whatever was necessary to see her safe and unharmed back in their manor.
And Sara would ruthlessly use her against him. Dangling her well-being as insurance that Kaname comply with her demands.
Yuuki's heart wrenched at the thought of Kaname. What if Yori had gotten to her brother too?
She curled into the mattress, burying her face within the pillow to hide her tears. She wanted to be home. She wanted Kaname's strong arms wrapped around her. She thirsted for his blood. She wished to hear him say "I love you," softly when he kissed her forehead before bed.
Yuuki cried silently until her tears ran out and her eyes stung from the saltiness and lack of moisture.
Yuuki startled awake for the second time in a span of a few hours to the sound of footsteps echoing outside her cell door.
'Several footsteps,' she corrected straining her ears. At least four different ones. Two of them were heavier than the last, which was softer and sounded more muted, as if the person was wearing socks. And the last one reminded the brunette of how Yori walked.
Yuuki brushed at her eyes to remove any traces that she had been crying and settled herself once more on the bed.
There was a light click of a key being turned, then the door swung open.
Two of her human pets entered first, side by side, and moved to stand on either side of the doorway. Sara paused in the doorway, pandering to her desire to bear witness to the false princess's hysterics when she saw her.
Sara in no way got her wish. Instead, she was the one infuriated. The brat was reclining on the bed in the corner, glowing crimson eyes gazing steadily at the ceiling above. They didn't even flicker her direction when the door open.
Yuuki Kuran was acting like she didn't have a care in the world.
Sara unclenched her fists before she broke a nail. How dare that brat? She was her captive! She was not in her daddy's academy or her brother's mansion. She should be terrified out of her wits, not lying there dismissing a Pureblood stronger than her.
She didn't deserve to be called a Pureblood. She had not been raised one. Her pitiful life had been spent among the human trash that overpopulated the world. The Kuran girl was no better than them for associating with them, for advocating peace with humans.
Humans were nothing more than food. They were unbelievably dimwitted creatures. It was all too easy for Sara to manipulate their feeble loyalties emotions. They were entertaining toys when they believed she would grant them immortality.
A cruel smile stretched her lips. If the location was not enough to shake the young Kuran, then Sara knew what would.
"Good morning, darling." The human's eyes darted to her and just as quickly returned to the ceiling. "I do hope your stay hasn't been taxing so far."
Sara waited patiently for a reply.
"Not at all," Yuuki said with a smile. "The décor's very soothing."
The blonde's eyes turned glacial. Either the once human girl was a very good actor or she thought sincerity would get under her skin. It rankled Sara that it was true. The genuine smile and joy on her face annoyed her. Did the stupid girl not understand the concept of prisoner?
Sara sank down onto the edge of the bed, curling one hand around its occupant's forearm. "I'm glad you find it to your tastes, darling. Because you are going to be enjoying it for some time."
"How long?"
Sara trailed her pointer finger up the center of her arm, sharp fingernail leaving behind a thin line of blood. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. You and I are going to have a lot of fun. And if you behave," she dug her nails into the fleshy arm in her grip, rejoicing at how the human gasped, "I might even let your friend visit."
Sara waved an arm imperiously. One of her handmaidens stepped outside and came back with her newest pet.
"Yori was ever so grateful of my promise to make her one of us. All I asked of her was one . . . little . . . favor." The malevolence in the last three words could have cut steel. "I didn't think she could do it, bring you to me. But here you are. Clearly, Kuran does not care for you as much as he claims to."
"Kaname-nii-sama will come for me," she said quietly, but the look in her eyes did not match the strong words she spoke.
That's what she wanted to see. Those wide, innocent, doe-y eyes were alive with pain and insecurity. This, Sara could use. Before long, the girl would break, begging to return to the humans. And when that time came, Sara would give her back to Kuran.
The devastation on his face when his lovely sister came back to him broken beyond repair and wanting nothing to do with him would be entertainment for a century.
It was all so very poetic. Kuran had planned so carefully so that he might reintroduce the sister no one knew about, and just when she was starting to become accepted, Sara had whisked her away. Just as quickly as she had entered to world of the night, the human would be leaving it.
Sara rose gracefully. "We'll talk again soon, darling."
The cute human girl and her other two pets dutifully followed her. Sara nimbly locked the door again, slipping the small silver key into the pocket of her voluminous skirts.
"You did wonderfully, my darling," crooned the Pureblood, raising a hand to caress Yori's face. "But your task is not yet over. Kuran will suspect you if you disappear after his sister has. I need you to return to him while he fruitless hunts for her. Can you do that for me, darling?"
The human knelt. "Yes, my lady," she intoned.
"Good, then go."
"Yes, my lady."
Yori waited until Sara had turned her back, silently dismissing her, before climbing to her feet. She strode off down the stone hallway and up the stairs, not once looking back at the door behind which her friend was locked.
One day, Yuuki would understand why she had done what she had. Yori only hoped that she would forgive her.
The brunette navigated the maze of hallways with practiced ease, reaching the ground floor and slipping out the front door. A short walk down the driveway and out the electronically locked gate, and Yori was on the streets.
She turned right, walking briskly for seven blocks. There, are the corner as promised, was a black limo.
Yori slid in the back seat, reclining in the middle. "You know where to go."
"Of course," came Aidou Hanabusa's voice from the driver's seat. The engine thrummed and the floor vibrated as the vehicle came to life, and the two were gliding up the street, heading for the Kuran manor.