“Is that what you want?” I asked. “You want me to go?” He shook his head again. “No,” he insisted, “I don’t want you to leave me. But I want you to be safe…and that means staying away from all of us. If you’re near our kind then you aren’t safe; it’s that simple. Near me and my kind, there will always be a risk to you.” Hesitantly, I reached out and took his hand. “I don’t care, though. I don’t care about risks. I care about you. I care about ‘us’. I want to be near you, no matter what. Would you run away if I told you I was a werewolf or something?” Akatsuki moaned softly. “As if you could be a werewolf. You’re far too kind; gentle.” I shrugged that comment off lightly. “But would you run away?” He stared at me for a very long time in silence. “No,” he whispered eventually. “Well then I’m staying,” I insisted, “End of.”

“But you aren’t safe around me,” Akatsuki replied, almost begging. “You know, I worked that out when I sliced my tongue open on your fangs,” I laughed, “And I still came tonight. So shut up and let me love you. I’m always going to be where you are.” I leaned forward and kissed him softly. “See; does that prove my point now?” Akatsuki didn’t answer, so I closed my eyes and stood up, sighing. “If you make me leave now, you take away all I am.” I looked at him evenly, but he didn’t protest. So I had no choice but to walk away, trying my hardest not to cry.

“You’re out awfully late,” said a soft voice in the night. “Or should I say early to you?” I shook my head despairingly. “What do you want, Kaname?” He laughed gently. “You’re always so suspicious of me. Can I not enquire as to your condition without an inquisition?” I rolled my eyes, “No, you can’t. Because it isn’t as though you care about me normally. I don’t suppose you could have told me that you were all blood-sucking, heart-breaking creatures of the night? I thought we were friends.” Kaname chuckled again before answering. “We’re more than friends, Cassie. Surely you know that by now? But if I had told you that we were vampires then you might have run in terror – and that wasn’t something I wanted to risk.”

“You wouldn’t risk me running away? So you’d sooner someone sucked all the blood out of me than you told me the truth. That says a lot about you, Kaname.” Kaname brushed my hair off my neck to whisper in my ear. “That was a slight misjudgement on my part, I admit.” He inhaled deeply before saying, “I didn’t think anyone would drink your blood. I had actually hoped that I would be the first to pierce you…so many times I have imagined my fangs slipping into the soft skin on the curve of your graceful neck…Your blood calls to me, Cassandra.” I pushed his head away disgustedly.

“You’re sick,” I spat. “Do you realise how wrong that just sounded? Do you even care? Well, I’m sorry, but my blood isn’t for anyone but me. And…” I trailed off, realising now that if Akatsuki asked me for my blood, I would be far too eager to allow it. “You would let that…that…underling drink from you, but not a pureblood?” Kaname asked furiously, guessing my thoughts correctly. “That underling,” I retorted, “is better than you in every way. And don’t you forget that.” I shoved past him, stomping back to the school, but he followed my every step.

“I outrank him,” Kaname continued, “But that isn’t my point.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to hear what you have to say,” I said quietly, hit by a sudden dizziness. My feet faltered slightly, and Kaname grabbed my waist quickly to steady me. “You’re going to the infirmary,” he ordered, “a vampire has just drunk from you. Rest assured, Hanabusa Aido will be punished as soon as I know that you are okay.” I shook my head weakly, but Kaname would not let me struggle out of his grip and walked me to the infirmary as promised. He was still sitting by my bedside when I drifted off to sleep – I was being forced to stay until I regained my strength.