Bloody Petals

Chapter 17

Kaname lay on his bed as he mused over what happened last Friday. It had been a week since then, it's Saturday now, but he still couldn't help but think about it so much. He found himself smiling in the darkness as he remembered how he handed an invitation card to the three hunters. He closed his eyes as he licked his lips sensually, reminiscing the intoxicating flavor of Zero's skin and the taste of the hunter's blood. A low growl full of want escaped his lips just as he felt his eyes turn crimson once more. He'd been doing that for a week now and he knew that he was already far from recovering. He'd fallen deep into an abyss, it seemed.

He sighed before he chuckled bitterly. "It seems I've fallen for you without even realizing it... you stubborn hunter." He covered his eyes with his arm as he gritted his teeth. Now he had more problems than he originally thought. If he was indeed feeling what he thought he was feeling, then he'd most probably lose his cool more than just once starting from now on. Just like that night a week ago... when Maria first transferred.

The moment that girl Maria spoke of how she'd tear Zero to shreds once she finished drinking up all of his blood, the brunette immediately lost it and in an instant clawed her face, frightening everyone in the vicinity. He'd originally intended to only slap her for her rudeness but his anger made him do much more than that. Thick pureblood's blood filled the air just as Maria lunged forward to attack him too. The fight was only stopped when the two reached a silent decision to get Zero first. Of course, everything in sight was broken – glass windows, walls, floors, furniture – and everyone was shaking in fear right after that. And their fight didn't end with just that night. For the past few days now, they'd wanted nothing but to slit each other's throat every time they were in the same room.

His chocolate eyes turned crimson when he felt the presence, making him stand up too. He went out of his room and onto the office adjoining the room, where he could see the face of the one who'd most likely ruin his reputation as a calm and collected pureblood member of the Council.

"Good evening, Kuran." The voice didn't come from the door. Instead, Kaname had to turn around to see Maria beside the window smiling coldly at him. "I see you've taken a liking to my child as well."

"Didn't you say so yourself that you can't feel anything from him? How can you even call him your child?" Kaname smiled as well, making the room turn some degrees colder than earlier. "Besides, right from the start, I have been the one who stands up as his parent. I'm the one who feeds him. You don't have any right over Zero, Kurenai-san. Or rather, Shizuka Hiou-san."

Maria chuckled at that. "I wonder... He might not have some connection to me." And her eyes turned crimson as well, mirroring Kaname's very well. "But he surely has some connection to the one who sent me here. And believe me. That man has more connection to Zero than to any of you here."

Kaname's smile vanished at that, replacing it with a cold expression. "Oh? And who might that person be?"

"It's a... secret." She laughed out loud when she felt how Kaname's aura darkened a little bit more. "Oh, it'll be your birthday tomorrow, right, Kuran? Shall we give you a nice birthday gift?"

The brunette clenched his fists enough to draw blood. "I'm grateful for the offer. But I believe I'll have to refuse."

"It's our gift so why not just accept it with open arms? It's not Zero though." Maria giggled in her childish manner before she vanished in the blink of an eye. Kaname's eyebrows furrowed at that. He thought that somehow, Maria's presence suddenly felt more childlike. It wasn't the case when she first came here.

The pureblood immediately called Takuma in the room after that. When the guy came inside, he was not at all cheerful like always. He could feel the intense air together with the unmistakable scent of another pureblood vampire.