𝕯𝖎𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖐 𝕷𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖘: 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖊

Chapter 15

Shu was sleeping soundly on the sofa in the hall. His room was too stuffy for him to go, and although he enjoyed the cozy, closed space his room and his coffin provided him, he did not enjoy the recent sweet smells his room had started emanating at night. He'd woken up in cold sweats so many afternoons as he was reminded of the sickly tangerine smell of the room. He'd even bothered Reiji to get rid of it, but Reiji had chided him by speaking ill of his older brother yet again. He'd gone back to his coffin, dejected, angry, when he decided to damn it all and sneaked away to sleep in the dimly lit hall. As always, a constant symphony played in his mp3, a solemn Bach melody urging him to drift to sleep.

A smell wafted in as he heard the front door open. He was sure of Ayato's steps as he climbed up through the pipe to his room, but he strained his hearing to listen to the soft footsteps of the human. They'd been together, he had been sure of it, and Reiji had even talked about smacking some sense into both of them. Shu would have been glad to see Reiji whip the blond idiot. Ever since he had tried to touch her, she'd cowered around him, and he hated it. He wanted her to rush into his arms, look at him like she looked at his possessive half brother.

Even though she should have been scared of everyone around her, Yui never tried to resist when Ayato teased her, touched her, grabbed her, or demanded her blood. Everybody in the household was probably sick of avoiding the fact that the bride definitely favoured Ayato to some extent. Which was probably why Ayato was becoming gentle and warm towards her in the first place. He'd caught her chasing after him while talking to Reiji, and felt a pang of certain jealousy, in the way she followed him like a lost animal. His hands ached to rip her clothes off and show her what she's missing by chasing after Ayato. He smiled at himself, and sat up as the human stepped into the hall, her head flitting to meet his gaze.

"Shu san," she said, her voice barely a whisper, but he could hear the urgency in her tone. Like a deer caught in headlights, she stood still, as Shu stood beside her in a flash, his cape fluttering with the midnight breeze.

"Are you playing games with Ayato? Not satisfied with Subaru and Laito wrapped around your fingers, huh?" She shivered as he grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. Her eyes were closed, and he shook her violently, grabbing her body flush against his. "Open your eyes or I'll pry your lids off."

She shuddered as she lifted her eyes towards him, her tears on the verge of spilling. It made him ease as he knew he had control over her, something that stupid Ayato couldn't dream in a million years to accomplish. Her tears were because of his terror, and he intended it to be that way. His hands traveled lazily to the curve of her spine, pushing her as close to him as possible. She let out a yelp of surprise, and the hand gripping her chin grew tighter, as Shu ran a thumb along her lower lip. He glared into her teary eyes, and warned her, "If you dare make a noise, I will rip your throat off and bathe in your blood." She whimpered as he rested his head in the crook of her shoulder. She was considerably shorter than him, so without thinking he hoisted her up in his arms, supporting her weight on his forearm, and inhaled deeply. Her smell of honeysuckle and blueberry comforted him enough, and he opened his mouth to take a bite.

"Shu san," she grabbed his collar, her weak hands pushing him, her voice interrupted with sobs and hiccups. He hated this. He hated being interrupted when he was awoken by her, was mad at her for being so stupid as to accept Ayato with open arms when they both knew what he could do with her frail body.

"Oh shut up," he said, his teeth bared, about to take a bite out of her, giving her the pleasure of a lifetime.

Until he felt something sharp against his chest, and searing pain through his sternum.

The sound he emitted was not unlike a human's when they'd touched a hot teacup. Grabbing her short hair, he pulled back as he found her frail hands holding a silver knife against his chest. In the middle of the attempt to bite, he had leaned too close and accidentally cut himself against the tip. Dark blood pooled around the wound, stringy and viscous, as Yui defiantly pushed it against his hard skin. He smiled, amazed as to how this puny, pathetic being could grow smart in such a short span of time.