Euphoria

Chapter Thirteen

It was the scent of blood that stopped him in his tracks, and Ayato's body froze in place. The vampire Michaela had indulged him for only a short time, his utter disinterest in Ayato and the situation all the more clear when he put his sword away and turned to briskly walk off on his own and left him behind.

Anger was the first to emerge and Ayato's eyes blazed as the realization hit him in full force. That scent was of blood, but more importantly, it belonged to his prey and the implications was enough to send him teleporting back to the mansion in a hurry. 

He threw open the door and narrowed his eyes, quickly scouring the mansion for the dirty rats that dared to taste his prey, the scent leading him to the dungeon. Her blood was thick in the air, intoxicating, and he could practically taste the rich flavor on his tongue. To his surprise it was Reiji who held her captive, though it didn't appear as if he had drank from her. 

Her arms were high above her head kept in place by thick chains covered in rust. Her clothes were torn and shredded by the whip, dark pink lashes littered her skin tarnished with purple bruises and dripping blood. She hung like a limp doll and didn't seem to have the strength to lift up her head, the messy purple locks covering her face completely. 

"She belongs to me!" Ayato snapped, "I told you not to touch her!"

Reiji adjusted his glasses, the whip in his hand covered in her blood. "For you to insinuate that I would want such low quality blood is insulting. She is being punished for her unruly behavior. Perhaps if you would discipline her properly this wouldn't be required."

"Shut up four eyes! I can do whatever I want to my prey."

Ayato approached her and removed the chains, letting her loose and allowing her to crumple on the floor. He stood over her and glared at Reiji, the unused sword at his side pointed directly at his elder brother as he said, "First that damn Mikaela, now you! I'm tired of  both of you looking down on me!"

Reiji remained unfazed, his response as cold and calculating as ever. 

"As it stands, she is your responsibility. The fact that I had to step in is an oversight on your part. Your feeble capabilities are not integral to my current situation, nor does it offer any rebuttal against your malleable thoughts."

"S-shut up!"

Reiji let out a soft sigh. 

"To explain to someone of your intellect, I'm simply saying that I  cannot be blamed for your failure to control your prey. She is not my burden to look after." 

"As if I give a damn about what you say! I said what I said and that's final!"

There was a moment of silence as Reiji stared at him, and Ayato hated every minute of it. Despite being the younger brother, Ayato refused to accept any responsibility for Reiji's actions, and he made sure that it was clear. In doing so, it felt as though Ayato was being scolded and Reiji gave  him the look, an expression of complete superiority. It was a look he was familiar with, and it didn't help his already irritated mood. He could feel the intent behind it, it was one that suggested that Reiji didn't need him to say it, he already knew what he said was right. 

Reiji didn't say anything more, moving only to wipe off his whip with a nearby towel and wordlessly leaving the dungeon. 

Ayato wore a frown, his mind trying to make sense of what to do next when he heard her shuffle around. Immediately his eyes flickered to her, watching as she made a feeble attempt at crawling away. 

"Didn't I make it clear? Your blood belongs to me!" He bellowed. 

He walked over to her and grabbed her hair to pull her neck back. He bit her suddenly and listened as she whimpered, the taste instantly quenching his thirst. It was when he pulled himself away from her that he moved her collar and growled, "You think I can't smell it? Subaru's scent is all over you! And Reiji...did you beg for that four eyed freak too?!"

He bit her again, this time burying his fangs into her collarbone. When he pulled away he said, "You're mine and only mine. Ore-sama is the only one who owns your blood. I want you to remember that." 

If she heard him she made no effort to respond, and he hooked his arm around her waist to carry her properly. Walking out of the dungeon he was confident that any vampire within the city of Sanguinem could smell the blood flowing from her body. The wounds on her were too deep and too rough to heal cleanly on their own, and dragging her along with him during his patrol was out of the question.

Ayato silently wondered if that was Reiji's intention. It was possible that Reiji wanted to punish him for letting Subaru be injured and causing him to be put into his care, a position that meant Krul would be watching his progress. But Ayato didn't dwell on this thought for long. 

He took her to the bath and threw her inside of tub, clothes and all, and turned on the tap. She remained still and lifeless, even as he ungracefully ripped open her blouse and pulled her clothes from her body. He let her soak in the water to wash off the blood, summoning familiars to bathe her properly once he grew bored of staring at her. Once the familiars were done she was dragged to the safety of his room.

Ayato crossed his arms, glaring hard at her. She was unceremoniously thrown on the floor, naked except for the thin towel draped over her body. But every second that passed only seemed to make him angrier, the thought of his brothers sinking their dirty fangs into her and the expression of pleasure on her face was enough to make him want to rage. She was his prey. His possession. His, and his alone. 

He stood up suddenly and approached her, kicking her body lightly. She did not move. He sucked in his breath and teleported out. He was going to teach those annoying brothers a lesson.