Captivated by you

Chapter 18

Kasamatsu left me at the entrance to the baths and I shuffled behind a screen where a cold bath awaited me. I dropped the bed sheet and sunk into the bath, sighing in joy as it soothed my aching body. I scrubbed myself clean of any traces of Haizaki on me. I had just finished and was drying myself off when I heard hushed voices and I picked up on Kasamatsu's voice straight away. I quickly got changed into the yukata, not at all surprised that it was short, like the ones I wore when I was human. I poked my head around the screen that provided me with limited privacy to see a group of men and women carrying an unconscious woman through the door. My throat burned when I smelt and saw the blood pooling around them. They moved behind a screen and I followed to see them place the bleeding woman into a bath tub. I caught my breath as I saw her bruised and battered body with deep cuts across her back.

"She has been whipped, badly."

The people around her spun to see me, eyes wide with fear except Kasamatsu.

"Don't worry about him, he is one of us."

"Branded as the masters property? He could be a spy!"

"He is here against his will, just like us."

I lifted my chin, ignoring the glares and distrust in the eyes of those and made my way closer. Kasamatsu and two women were washing the woman's body and another grabbed towels and bandages to deal with her wounds. I saw that a band was around her wrist, she was a vampire. She was also dying.

"You're wasting your time. She is almost dead."

"Don't you dare say that!"

The woman who had grabbed the towels shoved me and I could see tears in her eyes. I checked her wrist, she was human.

"She has lost too much blood and hasn't drank any in quite some time, her body can no longer heal her wounds. We are strong, but we are not immortal."

"Then I will feed her some."

"Kasamatsu no!"

The other woman who was helping grabbed the dark haired man's hand to stop him when he grabbed a make shift knife from his belt and placed it against his arm.

"If I don't do this she will die!"

"And if you do you will be punished! You are already under suspicion for helping everyone out they will hurt you, or worse kill you this time."

I stood up and grabbed the knife from his hand and when he looked at me I simply smiled and placed it against my wrist and cut deeply, drawing blood. Kneeling down beside the bath I placed my wrist against her mouth and her eyes fluttered as she began to drink deeply. After a few moments hands grabbed my arm and pulled it away. I looked on as Kasamatsu proceeded to wipe down my wrists, cleaning away the blood, the cut already healed.

"You didn't have to do that."

He didn't meet my gaze and I looked up at the ceiling, ignoring the stares of those around us.

"Well she was dead if I didn't."

"You should care about yourself. If the master finds out you helped his toys he will punish you."

"There isn't much more he can do to me. He has wounded my bond mate and taken me away from him and my clan."

"He can still hurt you!"

At last I met his gaze and smiled sadly.

"He already has and I have already been through much suffering in my life. Don't worry about me, I wouldn't be me if I didn't help others."