I must have fallen asleep. Although I didn’t realise at the time, I was suddenly acutely aware that Akatsuki was nowhere to be seen. Throwing back the bedsheets angrily, I exhaled in a huff and sat up experimentally. My head felt fine; I was a little dizzy, but that would probably be solved with a little breakfast. My stomach grumbled in support of the idea. Even so, I was too tense to eat anything. Instead, I pulled on my clothes and made my way out of the hospital wing before anybody could catch me.
It was night time, so Akatsuki would be in lessons – as would the rest of the Night Class. I decided to go back to the Moon Dormitory; a relatively harmless place when completely devoid of vampires. That also mean that the old man who usually acted as a sentry of sorts was absent, and I could let myself in with no trouble.
The Moon Dormitory common room was lavishly decorated, like an old English hunting lodge or a prestigious college like Harvard. I had never been inside before, and it took a while to absorb it all, from the bearskin rug and overstuffed sofas to the merrily crackling fire and chandelier. I didn’t have a clue where Akatsuki’s bedroom was, I realised at last. And I couldn’t stomach the idea of opening random doors in a place like this.
Uncomfortably, I perched on the edge of a sofa away from the fire; I was overly hot already. My hands clutched my knees nervously, and my feet tapped and twitched. But I went completely rigid when something cold slipped down my spine. It was the unmistakeable feeling of someone else being in the room. I closed my eyes to take a deep breath, and then forced myself to open them again.
I almost screamed.
Kaname was kneeling in front of me, so close that our noses were practically touching. I shoved him away reflexively and stood up, backing away until I could breathe again. ‘What are you doing?’ I demanded furiously. Kaname lifted one eyebrow smoothly. ‘Surely I should be asking that of you, since you’re the one who has broken into our dormitory.’ I narrowed my eyes at him. ‘You first.’
His only response was a mischievous grin. He sashayed closer comfortably, ignoring the fact that I was scuttling backwards. I refused to take my eyes off Kaname’s and kept my face deliberately blank, but my head was a tangle of wordless panic.
My legs only started to shake when my back came up against a wall. I felt my hands ball up into tight, little fists, my nails gouging deep welts into my palm. My heart rate rocketed, and Kaname smirked. Of course he could hear it. I frowned, but Kaname didn’t seem to notice – or perhaps he just didn’t care. ‘You’re so lovely, Cassandra,’ he said dotingly, reaching out and brushing his cool fingers down my cheekbone. I shivered at his touch. ‘That’s right,’ he murmured, misinterpreting the reaction as something pleasant, ‘it’s okay to enjoy it.’
Kaname moved in a flash to pull me against his chest and anchor me there with iron-tight arms. I tried to tug out of his grip, but it was useless and ineffectual. When I stomped hard on his foot, Kaname didn’t even flinch. Instead, he put one hand under my chin to force my face up to his, and then pressed his mouth against mine hungrily. I struggled and fought, but my strength was no match against Kaname’s pure vampire blood. Eventually I gave up and wilted in his grip as he pushed me against the wall to kiss me harder.
‘Kaname!’ shouted an angry voice. ‘Get the hell off of her!’ I recognised the angry newcomer with relief, and almost smiled. Kaname didn’t react at all, but the next minute Akatsuki was hauling him off me and flinging him across the room. I slid down the wall till I was sitting on the floor, and only then did I notice the rest of the Night Class staring at me in shock. Aido started forward, but froze as a look of guilt twisted his face. I attempted a reassuring smile at him.
All smiles vanished, however, when a loud crash sounded. Everybody’s attention immediately snapped to the brawling vampires who were rolling around in a scuffle on the floor. My stomach clenched as I watched Kaname smack Akatsuki’s face so hard that his head rocked back, clicking ominously.
