Blood Lust

Chapter 8

A/N: Apologies for not getting this chapter out yesterday, but I hope you understand that I was busy. I got to visit the campus I'm going to college at this coming fall :) Anyways. . . hope you enjoy.

I do have one update! I'm finally up to writing the last chapter. In case you haven't seen, this fic will be 13 chapters and I just got started on chapter 13 at last so. . . YAY! The conclusion is being written.

*

That evening Yuuri sat in silence in the suite. The master stopped by a few times to check up on him.

"I have some food in the fridge. You can cook something up if you'd like."

"'M not hungry." Yuuri shrugged from his spot on the couch.

"There's cable, you can watch some television."

"But there's never anything good to watch."

It was like the master eventually gave up on Yuuri and abandoned his husband to his office.

He thought about him and Yuri in the garden this morning. His focus went to Yuri's face as he told his story to the young bodyguard. There was a sincere look of sorrow in his eyes for Yuuri. Maybe, just maybe everyone here really did care for Yuuri and didn't agree with the master's motives in marrying Yuuri.

Yuuri sighed and slid down the couch. "Everyone really cares. I know they all hold high respects to the master but they don't agree with him sometimes. Why can't it be their say against his in this situation? I could be free and sent back home. I just know it."

There was a knock on the door. Yuuri got up and dragged himself over to answer it. On the other side was one of the guards protecting the North Wing. "Master has requested me to come get you." Yuuri groaned, when he thought that he finally got rid of the master for the day, he sent one of his guards over to retrieve him for whatever reason.

For the time he's lived here Yuuri learned to never question or refuse anything the master asked of him so instead of refusing he let the guard lead him downstairs and towards the dining hall. A dinner, how wonderful. Yuuri rolled his eyes as he realized what he is subjected to do with the master this time.

Both the master and Yuri are waiting for Yuuri in the dining hall. The master greeted Yuuri from his spot at the head and gestured for the man to have a seat at the foot. Yuri asked him what he would like to have.

"Can I just get a wine?" he asked for.

"Make him some mackerel." the master added. "You like mackerel, don't you?"

Yuuri nodded. "But I'm not really hungry."

"Nonsense. I know you haven't eaten since breakfast. Have something small." the master had even learned his own eating pattern. Yuuri guessed he grew to understand the times of day he ate from how long Yuuri had been here. "And could you make me some too?"

The bodyguard nodded. As soon as he entered the kitchen the master's focus switched to just Yuuri. "I've been so curious as to who you are. You're my husband, I want to know everything about you."

Yuuri looked away from the master. He clearly knew his name after the wedding, what more did he care to know? "I'm twenty-four. . ." he started.

"That's interesting. I'm 538. I stopped aging not long after my twenty-seventh birthday." The master looked thoughtful. "But I never lost track. . ." he hummed. "But I want to know more about your old homelife. What are the names of your parents? Do you have any siblings? What about pets?"

Each question was like another stab to the heart. Sure, the master had no idea, but he should be more considerate of Yuuri's feelings, even though he hadn't thus far. Yuuri didn't want to tell the same story twice today and cry all over again so instead he asked that the master would pick a different topic. "I wish to not speak about my life outside of the castle today."

"But I want to know this stuff." he told Yuuri. "I like getting to know the people I live with, especially my husband."

"Yeah, why don't you ever use their names then?" Yuuri mumbled back. "Do you care enough to learn them?"

The master was a little taken aback by his statement, then he smirked, and then he said something that surprised Yuuri. "I know a lot more about everyone who lives with me, name and all, then you would ever come to comprehend. I always make sure my family gets the care and attention they need."

The word family is what stuck to Yuuri the most, he saw every vampire he took in as family. Do they feel the same with him? If they were family then why did they use the terms they did? Four months, and everything was still weird to Yuuri. Still, he didn't see the reason why he should answer the master's questions.

"You wouldn't answer the questions I have about you so why should I answer the questions you have about me?" this time the master had no answer. "You know so much about your 'family' but they don't know anything about you. You're hiding too many secrets from them and they can't keep a single secret from you. I find that to be very selfish."

The room fell silent after that. Yuri presented them with their dinner. The master quietly stated that this was the first time he ate human food in almost 300 years and then the room went mute once again as they ate their dinner.

After their plates were cleaned up Yuuri wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin and stood. "If you need me, I'll be in the suite."

"Would you like me to escort you back up to your room?" Yuri had asked.

Yuuri shook his head. "I think I can make it back by myself just fine."

On his way up to his room Yuuri noticed for the first time just how packed this castle had become since the master requested that nobody leave the lot. It had become impossible to turn a corner without bumping into at least one resident. It had also become common for the vampires to bow and call him Heir Katsuki as Yuuri passed them. It had gone unnoticed by Yuuri as he went through his day-to-day pretending like things would get better. He also usually had Yuri or Phichit with him to talk and keep him company as they roamed through the castle so anything outside of his bubble had gone right through Yuuri without thought.

Yuuri also wondered about Chris, he had gotten worried about his friend like the other vampires have.

"Be safe. Come back."

"I promise I will. I'm always safe."

The memory caused Yuuri to shiver. He learned from Phichit at one point that Chris could be gone for weeks but never longer than a month without returning to at least check in with everyone. It's been four months without a single word from him. It was worth agonizing over.

Yuuri had free access to the North Wing which meant he didn't have to knock to be let in because he was given a key to unlock the double doors that closed off this single wing of the castle. He put the key through the lock, twisted it until he heard the click, then pushed the doors open. The guards on the interior of the wing greeted Yuuri with a bow. Yuuri bowed back, something he started doing with a second thought now. He goes to the master suite and laid down on the bed. It was still messed up from last night but he never bothered to make it today.

He had no idea how long he laid there before one of the guards barged in without invitation. "Somebody is waiting for you at the entrance from the East Wing. He claims to be your bodyguard."

Yuuri groaned as he sat up and followed the guard to the doors. What did Yuri want from him this time? As soon as he saw his bodyguard looking panicked at the doors Yuuri's heart dropped.

"I told Master everything." He told Yuuri as soon as he was in earshot. Yuuri felt like the world just stopped right then. By everything did he mean? "About your family's death, the triplets. . . everything."

Yuuri put his head in his hands. He wanted to lash out at him but at the same time didn't have any energy to freak out at his friend. "Why. . .?"

Instead of giving him a proper response Yuri added, "And Master wishes to speak to you in his office."