Akane Kuran: The Unwanted [Vampire Knight]

Chapter Seventy: Mission

Ikuto's POV

I stopped in my tracks and knelt behind a bush, my fellow hunters coming up behind me moments later.

"Where to now?" one spoke.

"I believe they headed east," I said quietly. "Damn it, we've been chasing them for days...."

"Guess these Level E's have experience with hunters like us before." I looked over and saw the eldest of the group speak. "It seems like they're getting more intelligent nowadays."

"Why can't we just keep on chasing them?" the rookie asked.

"Leon, we can't," a brunette female said sternly. "We've went over this already. If what the old geezer says is true then they might have a trap ready and waiting for us."

"I am not old, Yuno! I'm only thirty-seven!"

"Whatever you say, Gregory," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Just so you know I can see your gray hairs."

"Why you—"

"Enough!" I exclaimed suddenly. "We are on a mission here, guys! You need to be quiet."

"And why should we listen to you?" Yuno asked. "You're just a vampire. The only reason you were even chosen for this hunting group was because you're Yagari Toga's son. I bet the only reason you were even accepted into the academy was because of that."

"I am not starting this with you right now," I muttered under my breath.

She grinned, "I don't trust you one bit. There is no such thing as good vampires. Just because some Purebloods or Aristocrats or whatever say so doesn't mean they are."

"You need to focus on the mission at hand," I hissed as I glared at Yuno, my patience growing thin.

"Oh dear, you're such a scary vampire. What are you going to do? Attack me? Drink my blood?"

"Yuno, stop it. We need to focus just like Ikuto said," Leon said sheepishly.

"You really trust this bloodsucker, Leon?" she asked distastefully.

"I'm not saying he couldn't be plotting something against us. In the academy we were taught that all vampires are bad.... However, for this mission we need to trust him to make it out of this." Leon paused for a moment. "A lot of skilled hunters have lost their lives pursuing these Level E's."

Yuno stared harshly at the rookie. "They died because they were stupid enough to go solo. We have a group; two skilled hunters, a wannabe, and a vampire."

Leon looked away. Yuno didn't think he was a real hunter. The courses at the academy were rigorous and I personally believed that anyone who successfully graduated had earned the right to be one.

That was mean.

"We don't even know how many there are," Gregory stated. "We need all of us to be on high alert and fight our best."

My eyes widened as I suddenly smelled a foul sent. Actually a scent that should be pleasing to me, but actually disgusted me.

"I smell blood," I muttered. "They're close."

Leon and Gregory stood with their weapons in-hand and proceeded ahead. Yuno stood up as well but I grabbed her wrist, making her glare down at me with hate.

"If you think I wanted to be a vampire you are very wrong," I said.

For a split second I actually saw compassion in her eyes, like she trusted me. However, seconds later she tore her arm out of my grasp.