With the Waning Moon [VAMPIRE KNIGHT]

Love/Hate

-M

After my shower, I stood there in a towel, contemplating. I had only my torn dress to wear. The small window in the bathroom was not big enough to fit through. I still could not Shift and I had no idea how long I had before Vane came back. Not wanting to be caught with no clothes on, I redressed with what I had and pushed my blonde hair off my face. If nothing else, it felt good to be clean. I turned in a circle, taking in the room. A medicine cabinet over the sink drew my attention. Perhaps I would find a nail file or razors that could become useful to me. I quickly strode over and pulled it open, peering inside. I found a few hair ties, a bottle of peroxide, bandages, hair scissors, toothpaste, and atube of chapstick. Less than thrilling, but I took a hair tie and stuffed it in my bra. The scissors would have to wait. Too bulky to conceal within my dress and if he were to pick me up again, I might stab myself. But to know they were there was almost enough.

I had just closed the medicine cabinet when the handle of the door jiggled. "Mika?"

I walked over, schooled my features to make myself look a little sick and reached for the lock. Time to play my part. I unlocked and opened the door and peered out at Vane. "I's done," I muttered weakly.

He looked angry and I wondered if he knew I had been searching for a weapon I could hide. I supposed I could have taken the scissors and tried to plunge them into his neck the second he opened the door, but he was fast and I was human. That thought was beginning to irk me more and more.

"I thought," Vane hissed through his teeth, his eyes beginning to turn a yellowish-gold. He was on the verge of changing and I was much too close, "you said he was dead."

I blinked, forgetting my act. "Who?" I asked, though I was pretty sure I knew and my heart sang with joy. Hanabusa. Good news is – he was for sure alive. Bad news – if Vane knew that, it meant he had seen Aido. Good news – Aido was nearby. Bad news – I was in a house full of werewolves that could kill him pretty damn easily since he couldn't be bitten. I highly doubted any of these girls would allow him to drink their blood as I had. And I would do it again, I admitted, if I could go back in time.

Vane reached out and grabbed me by the throat, effectively cutting off my air and surprising me six ways to Sunday. For someone who supposedly loved me, he was acting a little...rash. "Do not fuck with me," he whispered darkly, dragging me closer to him. His eyes glowed with a hidden rage and I got the feeling this was just the tip of the crazy iceberg. There was so much more going on beneath his skin that I couldn't even fathom.

I couldn't have answered even if I wanted to. But I could still think, at least. Aido! Vane knows you're alive. I assume that means your close and fuck I hope that means you can hear me loud and clear. Whatever you do, do not come here. There are other werewolves. I don't even know how many yet. And Vane...he's crazy.

"We are leaving." Vane said the words so softly I almost couldn't hear him over the sound of my own blood rushing through my head. Coupled with my thoughts running wildly around, I was surprised I even noticed him speaking at all.

Without another word, Vane threw me over his shoulder, offering me sweet air. I sucked in huge gulps and held on for dear life. "Where are we going?" I choked out.

"Away." Vane said the word with such force, I felt his body vibrate beneath me.

I was royally screwed. I had to think of something. I had to stop him, I had to...I wasn't sure. "What...what about your girls? My sisters?" I was grasping at straws.

"I don't care about them," he snarled. He was growing less and less human by the second. His words were becoming barely intelligible and I could imagine it was taking all his strength to stay human in order to carry me. If he turned wolf, he would have to hope I wasn't stupid enough to try to run. And I wasn't sure I would be able to resist the temptation to try.

"Please, Vane. You're scaring me," I said, desperately trying any tactic I could think of. "If you're talking about Aido – he is dead. There's no way he survived that."

"Tell that to my scouts," Vane snapped. "You think I would leave us unlooked after? I have some of my best girls watching the place, spreading outward a few miles in each direction. You think I'm an idiot?"

I chose not to answer that. I focused on his words. Aido was within a few miles from me. Maybe he would find me in time. Maybe Vane taking me away was the best thing to happen. We moved down the stairs and out the back door quickly. I thought he would throw me into the jeep parked out back – it was brown and muddy and I assumed it got that way by being driven out here – but he just walked right past it with me slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

And then it hit me. The best way for Aido to be able to track us down. I squirmed a bit, moaning and groaning as if I were uncomfortable. Mostly I just didn't want him to notice as I brought my finger to my lips and bit myself. Hard. It took much effort to remain quiet. Especially since I didn't break skin until two tries later. I let my arm dangle and hoped it would be enough, the few drops of blood that dripped to the ground every few steps. Hanabusa would know it was mine – I was sure of it.

And what Vane didn't know was I had been counting the second we left the back door. Each step. Seventy, seventy-one, seventy-two...

I would keep track of as many details as possible to help Aido find me. If I was right, Vane had made a mistake in hastily whisking me away. He hadn't brought any medicine to keep me docile. And I would not remain that way for long. As soon as I got my strength back, I was going to kick his ass.

It wasn't long before Vane began to run. Maybe he heard Aido coming or maybe he was growing more and more paranoid. I remained silent, hoping I would be able to defend myself once we arrived...wherever it was we were going.

It felt like we had been on the move for hours before we finally slowed. Maybe it really had been. I lost count of steps somewhere around the 3,000 mark and was feeling drowsy. My eyes fluttered as I tried to stay awake. It wasn't until I caught sight of the little shed that I became alert. We had arrived at what appeared to be some sort of back up safe house. Maybe we would hole up here for the night before taking off again at dawn. Maybe we would stay here. Maybe I would die here. I was beginning to get the feeling that if I were not careful, Vane would fly off the deep end. They say the line between love and hate is thin.

He finally set me on my feet, but kept a bruising grip on my arm. He looked around rapidly, as if expecting an ambush and I was kind of hoping for one. Anyone – my dad, Aido, Asena, even Kaname would be a welcome face after nearly a week with this psycho. He plunged his hand into his pocket and produced a key. So...he was expecting to end up here, at this ramshackle shed, at some point?

He pushed the door open and shoved me inside. I tumbled into the building and tried to get my bearings, but I wasn't fast enough. Vane was on top of me in an instant, his hand curling into my hair painfully. "I have waited and waited and waited," he snarled. "I have given you all the time in the world, Mika. I watched you for so long. It was fate that you showed up nearly on my doorstep with that little school of yours. I've been this close to you the whole time. You never even knew it. Never even suspected. And I tried," he said, nodding his head. "I tried to leave you alone. To let you live your life. I had tried to replace you. You were, in essence, the one that got away. I would have whisked you away with me that fateful day when I bit you, but things got a little messy. Too many people showed up and I was a different man then. I'm sorry."

I couldn't help it. I stared. This absolutely insane lunatic was sorry? "Vane. I don't know what this is about. I don't know why you have this...this fixation with me but-"

"Fixation? Mika, I have wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. At the time, I thought you could be the child I never had. You were young, vibrant and so beautiful. I could just tell you were going to grow up into a lovely young lady. But then I saw you here, all grown up and I knew I could never call you daughter. Not like the others. But you were careless, Mika. You put yourself in danger with those vampire boys. Let yourself get led astray. You were mine. You just...didn't know it." He stroked my jaw with his free hand and loosened his grip on my hair slightly.

Anger burned in my gut, but I tried to remain calm. "I am not yours, Vane. You can't own people. I'm not something to possess."

That was the wrong thing to say and I knew it – and regretted it – instantly.