With the Waning Moon [VAMPIRE KNIGHT]

Search and Rescue

-A

I could almost taste her fear. It was rancid in the back of my throat. She had told me not to go into the house. I almost ignored her warning, thinking she was trying to save me, but then I smelled the blood. It was very faint, but it was there. And it was hers.

"Come on," I urged Kain and we ran, following the scent. It faded after a while, but then I heard her voice inside my head. My name.

I'm coming. I was going to save her. No matter what it took. We slowed our pace slightly.

"Now what?" Kain asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Can you hear her? Can you smell her? Is she saying anything?"

A sudden piercing scream broke through the trees. It was close – at least, close enough.

Her words reverberated in my head and I felt my whole body stiffen. My mouth moved, voicing her words aloud, my stomach churning. "Fucking stupid. You idiot. Now look what you've gotten yourself into. You should have tried harder. You should have tried to fight him." I slammed my eyes closed. "How am I ever going to be able to look Aido in the eyes after this?"

"Hanabusa?" Kain sounded concerned.

When I opened my eyes to look at him, they were red. "I'm going to fucking kill him." I started running and Kain actually struggled to keep up. I ran faster than I ever had before. I had murderous thoughts running through my brain, fueling my hatred and anger. When I saw the small building come into view, I poured all my rage into getting there. I didn't even stop to open the door or even check if it was locked. I slammed my shoulder into it and it crashed inward, leaving half the door hanging brokenly on the hinges.

"What the hell?" I heard the male voice. Vane's voice. I could hear two heartbeats, one beating like a hummingbird and one beating steadily. I heard blood rushing rapidly. And I could smell her. Spilled blood. I swore to whoever or whatever was listening that if I found her covered in her own blood, hurt – I was going to lose my fucking mind.

Kain reached the building as I was barreling down the narrow hall.

I burst into the back room and time seemed to stand still. I took in everything in a moment. Mika. Oh, God, she was beautiful, even distressed and scared and she was most definitely naked. Not that I hadn't seen it before but situations were different. Her wrists were bruised dark purple and she had a split lip and her jaw was starting to swell. He had laid his hands on her.

Next, my blue eyes swept over Vane. Yellow eyes, pants unzipped, on top of my girl. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he had been about to do. I snarled, my eyes blazing red, fangs sharp and deadly. "Get. The. Fuck. Off. Her." The words were like a whip, slicing through the room between us.

Kain slammed into me from behind, unable to stop in time. I stumbled and Vane moved. It was like choreography. Kain lunged to the right, snapping the belt around Mika's wrist and helping her up, throwing the blanket off the bed over her shoulders. I lunged to the left, bringing my hands up. It only took a second. The floor beneath Vane's feet began to rapidly freeze, encasing his legs and holding him hostage so long as I held him there. I stood in front of him, my hands falling to my sides. "Miss me?" The words were a hiss.

Vane spat in my direction and slashed with his nails – which looked disturbingly like claws, but I didn't think on it much. I easily moved out of his reach. "Bloodsucking leach."

I laughed, but it was not a happy sound. "I am the leach?" I asked. I did not afford myself a look at Mika. I trusted Kain – my friend, my cousin – to take care of her. Even with the smell of blood in the air. "Were you not just on top of a helpless woman about to take something that did not belong to you?" I stalked closer, my rage burning a hole in my chest where my heart should have been. "I want you to know, Vane, that I am going to kill you."

"Aido..." The word was spoken so softly, but it carried with it the power of crashing waves. It was enough to almost bring me to my knees. I could not afford to look at her.

"Yes, Mika, love?" I asked, my words gentle for her.

"Don't do anything to blacken your heart."

I smiled for a brief moment. Mika...even with a heart as black as coal, I could still love you with every piece of it. Her breath hitched and I wondered if she had heard me.

"Yeah," Vane sneered. "Don't blacken your heart. You have to be able to live with yourself after." He laughed and I threw a punch without thought. Bones crunched and blood spurted. Broken nose – whoops.

I heard what sounded like a stampede of elephants coming toward us and frowned. "Expecting company?" Kain asked.

A chorus of howls sounded and I winced. Hopefully those were the good werewolves and not the bad werewolves. Mika stirred and I finally allowed myself to look at her. My stomach twisted and I turned and punched Vane again. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to hit a lady?"

"Dad." Mika shoved away from Kain, clutching the blanket around her slender frame. "I'd know that howl anywhere."

"I guess the question is – do you want to die by vampire or werewolf?" I asked, tilting my head to one side.

A large black wolf stalked into the room. His head swiveled around the room and I knew he was doing what I had done. A growl rose up in his throat when he looked at Mika.

"Kaede." I didn't look at him. "If you've got this covered, I'd be happy to take Mika home." As much as I wanted to kill him, I knew Mika didn't want me to. "Kain, let's get her out of here."

He nodded and gently, hesitantly, touched her shoulder. Her eyes never left Vane and, as we reached the doorway, she straightened her spine. "Vane? Go fuck yourself." She whirled and left the room with a all the bravado and bluster she had within her small body. As we exited the building, I heard a snarl and a scream. Mika walked faster.

Once we made it a good distance away, she turned and threw herself into my arms. I clutched her tightly, holding her to me. I could feel her heart racing, even if I couldn't hear it. And we stood there for some time as she sobbed into my shirt, occasionally incoherently babbling something that made no more sense in her mind.

"Kain," I whispered. "The clothes."

"Oh, right." Kain took the backpack from me and withdrew a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "I'm sorry," he said kindly. "We didn't think to bring underwear or anything."

She sniffled and took the clothes, stepping into them unabashedly. I was pretty sure she was more than a little numb to the whole situation. "It's okay," she said. "It's more than okay." And once she was dressed, she hugged Kain too. He patted her back awkwardly, watching me out of the corner of his eye.

"We also brought water and crackers, if you're hungry." Kain handed her the water and she drank it in large gulps.

I wanted to kiss her. But I also knew what she had been through and I didn't want to cross any lines. I would wait until she was ready. I would wait forever.

She ate the entire box of crackers and didn't speak much the whole way home. I carried her most of the way – it was faster and I was sure she was tired. But she didn't sleep. She just kept eating the crackers, her eyes never leaving my face.